Does color have a taste? A texture? A smell? For 2024, Pantone’s Color of the Year is both a sensorial expression and conversation starter. Meet Peach Fuzz 13-1023, which the preeminent color forecasting service describes as a “velvety gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches heart, mind, and body. Subtly sensual. A warm and cozy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness with others or for enjoying a moment of stillness and the feeling of sanctuary this creates, [it] presents a fresh approach to a new softness.”
Perhaps the most interesting and idiosyncratic aspect of this particular choice is its ambiguity. Despite Pantone’s best efforts to codify and classify color, the complicated truth is we all see it somewhat differently depending on a variety of factors. And we can only go by our own gut instincts and often biological response mechanisms. After all, there is a reason why in childhood, one of our first assertions of independent thought and identity is to claim a favorite color. Indeed, the colors we chose to wear, consume, and surround ourselves in often say way more about us than anything that comes out of our mouths. Hue are who hue are.
Which brings us back to the Rorschach test that is Peach Fuzz, which can’t quite decide if it’s pink, orange, or beige. Herein comes the fun part where we ask: What does it evoke for you? A dusky vista at sunset? A glowing Himalayan salt crystal? A creamsicle melting in the summer heat? The lacquered backdrop of a Victorian cameo pendant? The inside of Utah’s undulating Antelope Slot Canyons? A poached filet of Faroese salmon? That natty Chanel pre-fall ‘24 tweed suit from the recent Metiers des Arts collection in Manchester? Or the ripe flesh of a donut peach? There is no wrong answer. Just ask my mother.
Growing up with a fashion designer for a mom, color theory was instilled in me since infancy. To wit, some of my earliest memories involve being swathed in all things peach. You see, mama was in her early ’90s Santa Fe era, which meant our whole home (and a big chunk of her wardrobe) was dedicated to the incandescent shade, which she still contends is a neutral.
“Peach is my best color,” she says definitively even today. Think: peach leather and suede sofas, plus corresponding curtains and walls, (both bedrooms and bathrooms) painted and tiled in matte and glossy iterations of peach. “Looking back, I was clearly enchanted by it when bringing you and your sister up.”
According to mom (also known as Linda Lundström), peach belongs to the spring palette, where the colors are not as intense and the light is soft. “It’s very inviting and approachable. It’s not an intimidating or dramatic color, unless used liberally. Like in the sky,” she says. “It doesn’t look as good in small quantities. I could see it used in fashion to dress someone head to toe.” And there you have the pit of Pantone’s proclamation for 2024 : carte blanche to embrace and explore a plethora of peachy indulgences. Because with this subtle and calming shade, more is more.
Timepieces are also a way to express your personal style among a sea of utilitarian iWatches. A beautiful watch has the ability to express your individual style, dress up any outfit, and express success and power, the latter of which is essential in a city like Washington, DC. Recognizing this, it’s no wonder that the storied Italian luxury watchmaker, Panerai, has recently opened its first Washington, DC retail space at Tysons Galleria. The boutique spans over 400 square feet and unveils a new design concept that takes inspiration from industrial architecture and the sea, paying homage to Panerai’s craftsmanship in watchmaking and ties to the Italian Navy. The new boutique will make exclusive its special edition watches and reserves a VIP lounge for private consultations for the most discerning collector.
Panerai’s storied history goes all the way back to 1860 Italy, when Giovanni Panerai opened his first shop in Florence, serving not only as a watch shop and workshop, but also as the city’s first watchmaking school. Panerai’s elegant and durable designs caught on and soon supplied the Italian Royal Navy. The company didn’t make available civilian watches until 1993, and now boasts over 250 boutiques worldwide with 60 locations in the United States.
Walking into the new Tysons Galleria Panerai outpost, it’s clear to see the company hasn’t steered away from its original mission of beautiful craftsmanship and design. It’s one chief reason remains among the most popular and recognized luxury watchmakers globally. They are indeed timeless.
Something about 2024 feels at once familiar and new. Is this the year we finally get on with it and start to feel like ourselves again? Pantone says it’s the year of Peach Fuzz, a color that is meant to signify connection and compassion.
Ruben Garcia was one of the most important people running Jose Andrés' restaurant empire—now he’s starting his own.
Jacu Strauss, Creative Director of Lore Group in London, shares where to find inspiration in his adopted city.
Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a pioneering voice in the charge to ensure equality in AI
From Cirque du Soleil flying through the air on The Today Show to a Washington Post rave for Casa Theresa, our clients took center stage as 2023 wrapped up.
Father, Michelin-starred chef and TV star—Gordon Ramsay ushers in Lucky Cat to the Miami dining scene, cementing himself as a fine-dining chef stateside
