COLOR MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND

That’s why we turned to the Pantone Color Institute for the latest color scoop. What we heard is that mixing neutrals with vibrant color is an important trend. This is what Leatrice Eiseman (Executive Director of Pantone Color Institute) had to say:

"People want to customize color and be more creative. They don't want to look cookie-cutter… Many colors such as Opal Gray, Sky Blue and Golden Apricot have evolved from season to season. Rather than doing away with a color, designers infuse it with newness, tweaking it out," she added.

We follow with the top colors chosen by New York designers for spring ’07:

1. PANTONE 16-1720 Strawberry Ice
Chosen by 17.7 percent of designers
Warm yet fresh feeling, Strawberry Ice leads the color pack for spring. "It's a wonderful cleansing direction," said Leatrice Eiseman of the Pantone Color Institute. "Strawberry Ice is nurturing and brings a blush to the skin, like when putting rouge on." She noted the light coral tone also paradoxically has a cool feeling. Betsey Johnson, whose signature color is boudoir blush, favors Strawberry Ice in her baby-doll dresses for spring.

2. PANTONE 16-3801 Opal Gray
14.1 percent
A variation of fall's Frost Gray, this dependable, glimmering color works well when layering or combining colors. "Gray has come back into the picture again," explained Eiseman. "It's an unexpected neutral. When people invest in new colors, they want one to act as a background." Y & Kei and Tracy Reese, who mixes and matches colors, are applying Opal Gray to their spring collections.

3. PANTONE 14-4318 Sky Blue
13.5 percent
Famous for its serenity and calming effect, this soft color has evolved over time. It's favored by Elie Tahari and Akiko Ogawa, who finds her inspiration in the oceans near Indonesia and Marrakech, Morocco. "People have rediscovered blue," said Eiseman, calling Sky Blue dependable but optimistic. "When we see a beautiful sky, it means we're going to have a beautiful day. "

4. PANTONE 14-1041 Golden Apricot
10.6 percent
"A delicious yellow with orange undertones" is Eiseman's take on the warmth of Golden Apricot. "People often have problems with yellow, and it's a tougher color to bring into play." Nicole Miller plays the shade against other vibrant colors in her cutaway gowns for spring. The color also works well with pants, added Eiseman.

5. PANTONE 16-1220 Cafe Creme
10 percent
Rich and creamy like its name, Café Crème traces its lineage to the brown shade. "There have been variations for several seasons now," said Eiseman. "There's an earthiness that's implied, too, with Café Crème. It's very warm and appealing, offering a good basic background." Another plus: Café Crème looks like a refreshing version of the coffee we drink in fall or winter, she added. James Coviello, whose color philosophy partly mixes neutrals with bold color, chose the hue for his shorts suits.

6. PANTONE 12-1206 Silver Peony
8.8 percent
A designer who's inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings, Carmen Marc Valvo applied Silver Peony to his strapless cocktail dress. "It's another flattering noncolor because it's so light on every skin tone," explained Eiseman. "When in doubt, people will go to colors in their wardrobes that aren't too bold or bright." She called it a neutral beyond beige, a cross between pink and rose.

7. PANTONE 15-0326 Tarragon
8.2 percent
This homage to springtime is very soothing and relaxing, said Eiseman. Reem Acra, whose signature color is pomegranate, turned toward Tarragon for her frocks. The shade isn't acidic or bright, Eiseman said. "Today the important word is to appear natural, not synthetic," she explained. "And Tarragon is subtle with a freshness attached to it."

8. PANTONE 13-0648 Green Sheen
7.1 percent
To lend pop to their Sixties-inspired designs, Cynthia Steffe and Peter Som, who favors Marigold Yellow, turned to Green Sheen. "It's a softer offshoot of lime, smart and good. The perfect color to bridge the gap," said Eiseman. "It acknowledges that yellow is a fresh, new look."

9. PANTONE 19-2924 Hollyhock
5.3 percent
Playing off fall's blue-infused purple, Hollyhock adds more red to the mix. "That red purple brings more excitement," Eiseman said. "It's very active and outgoing." She added that purple is a complex color that's artistic and creative, adding personality to colors like gray or sand.

10. PANTONE 16-3929 Grapemist
4.7 percent
Soothing but not boring is Eiseman's description of this offshoot of blue. "It's more complex than Sky Blue, because it has a lavender undertone," added Eiseman. No wonder that Douglas Hannant, who favors Lapis Blue, chose Grapemist as his must-have color for spring.