Prince Love Symbol #2 Purple

 

Pantone Color Institute Is Excited To Announce The Creation Of “Love Symbol #2”

Created in honor of international icon, Prince, “Love Symbol #2” is a distinctive blue based purple hue inspired by Prince’s custom-made Yamaha purple piano which was originally scheduled to go on tour with the performer before his untimely passing at the age of 57. Prince’s association with the color purple was galvanized in 1984 with the release of the film Purple Rain, along with its Academy Award-winning soundtrack featuring the eponymous song. While the spectrum of the color purple will still be used in respect to the “Purple One,” Love Symbol #2, will be the official color across the brand he left behind.

When we think about Prince, we see a uniquely brilliant artist who continually throughout his illustrious career broke new ground as he perpetually challenged the norms in whatever space he played, leaving behind an indelible mark on music, art, fashion and culture. Paying tribute by developing a special purple color for this globally renowned talent known worldwide as “The Purple One” seemed only right and a way for his artistic legacy to live on forever.

Why this particular purple? As you can imagine, many are asking, especially now. Was it because purple is one of the shades worn by the Minnesota Vikings, the football team who played in Prince’s home state where he continued to live and work until his last day? It could be. After all in 2010 Prince recorded a three-minute, 41 second anthem titled “Purple and Gold” specifically for the Vikings at his Paisley Park Studios in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen shortly after the Vikings' 34-3 win against the Dallas Cowboys in the 2010 NFC divisional playoffs.

Or should we attribute Prince’s fascination with this particular blue based purple shade to its enigmatic status, its mystical associations and its complexity as a color that is a combination of the excitement of red and the tranquility of blue making it in essence the marriage of two diametrically opposed emotions?

We are not sure of the exact reason, however what we do know is that the language of this unique new purple, “Love Symbol #2” conveys an aura of mystery, intrigue and unconventionality, a color that stands apart from all others, something Prince, a performer of distinctive style certainly did.

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Laurie Pressman is the Vice-President of the Pantone Color Institute and has 20 years experience in the world of color and trend. She loves traveling the world looking for what is new and next and sees color as the story of life.

* Love Symbol #2 is a proprietary custom color standard created for Prince’s Estate. It is not available for sale to the public.