The unusual times we find ourselves in have coloured almost all aspects of our lives. So it’s not surprising that Pantone, the institute that is recognised as the global authority on colour trends, has eschewed every shade from its rather substantial palette archive and come up, for the first time, with an entirely new hue for 2022.
Very Peri, Pantone’s colour of the year, is a fusion of blue and violet-red. The periwinkle shade is meant to exude a blend of trustworthiness, tranquillity and comfort (from the blue) and energy, joy and creativity (from the violet-red). It is, says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute, representative of “the expansive possibilities that lay before us”.
While it acknowledges the challenges of the past, the shade is more about looking ahead to a bright future, said the company.
“Displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, Very Peri helps embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives. Rekindling gratitude for some of the qualities that blue represents complemented by a new perspective that resonates today, Very Peri places the future in a new light.
“We are living in transformative times. Very Peri is a symbol of the global zeitgeist and the transition we are going through. As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our notions and standards are changing, and our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways.”
The institute's past colours of the year include: Ultimate Grey and Illuminating Yellow in 2021; Classic Blue in 2020; and Living Coral in 2019.
Pantone’s shade of the year is based on its analysis of pop culture, fashion trends and sporting events, as well as popular travel spots, offerings from the entertainment industry and the latest technologies. Alongside, the institute’s colour choice typically acts as a cue for fashion, interior and industrial designers to adapt into their collections and concepts. Periwinkle curtains, anyone?
What designers say
Kate Instone, celebrity interior designer and founder of Blush International, says: "How we'll use Very Peri in our interiors depends on how brave our clients will be! We are currently working on Caroline Stanbury's new home in Dubai and we know she will be obsessed with this colour. I can imagine her full kitchen finished in Very Peri with Bianco Lilac marble tops. For our more conservative clients, we will use Very Peri as an accent colour, for a curtain trim, scatter cushions or maybe for the occasional bold chair.
"This is also a wonderful colour to use in your garden or on your terrace. It will lift your exterior space; use it for accent cushions and throws on your sofa and chairs and maybe even in your outdoor rug.
I am delighted that a such a bright and pretty colour has been selected as Pantone colour of the year," continues Instone. "After a few years of uncertainty, we all need some colour in our lives. So many people are scared to use bright shades, but a colourful room is such a mood lifter, I highly recommend it."
Sabrina Panizza and Aude Lerin, co-founders of Pl Studio, say: “We love the positive energy of certain hues, so we are excited to see the creation of Very Peri, which makes blue, a calming and serene colour, more vibrant and dynamic thanks to the addition of a red undertone.
"If you are brave enough to embrace a bold interior, use this energetic colour on your walls for a high-impact design element.
"You can also experiment with an eye-catching combination of Very Peri and an intense flamed orange red, such as Troubadour by paint manufacturers Craig & Rose, to create geometric shapes. Have fun with the geometric patterns, but ensure that you always create balance in your interior space with some accents of the same hues (they can also be softer or stronger shades of the same colour) throughout the room, in order to achieve a harmonious design.
"For those who would like to introduce Very Peri into their homes in a more subtle way, we recommend focusing on soft touches, like throws, pillows and area rugs. Pair Very Peri with a bright yellow for a high-spirited and joyful interior space to get your creative juices flowing and start the New Year off with fresh energy.”
Mariam Akolade, a design consultant at Ethan Allen, meanwhile, is of the opinion that less is more when it comes to dynamic colours such as Very Peri. “When incorporating a bold shade, use the 60-30-10 rule. Select three colours; your primary colour is a dominant neutral shade that will be used in 60 per cent of the space. Next comes your secondary colour, which will take up 30 per cent. Lastly, use the boldest color in the remaining 10 per cent. Veri Peri can be used as this accent shade rather than a focal point, to ensure the space remains balanced, while still accentuating the dynamic blue hue.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20Beekeeper
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
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Company%C2%A0profile
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90 6'
Manchester City 0
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
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Test
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
