The Color Purple: Designers Envision Pantone's 2014 Picks

Pack away your emerald accessories, ladies. That jewel tone is so 2013. The It color for 2014? According to the hue professionals over at Pantone, it's a lovely shade of purple known as Radiant Orchid.

But if your wardrobe isn't filled with lilacs and lavenders, fear not. Pantone also just released its official Fashion Color Report for Spring 2014, complete with Dazzling Blues and Celosia Oranges. And if you're still unsure how to factor, say, a coral called Cayenne into your next outfit, New York's best designers have offered up sketches, their inspirations, and — not to complicate things — their own signature color.

Yoana Baraschi

Yoana Baraschi

Pantone color: Radiant Orchid #18-3224

Inspiration: A desire for freshness, purity, and graphic contrast.

Must-have item: A white textured jacquard blazer — new, versatile, and clean.

Signature color: Pink

Bibhu Mohapatra

Bibhu Mohapatra

Pantone colors: Celosia Orange #17-1360, Paloma #16-0000, and Cayenne #18-1651

Inspiration: Inspiration was taken from Ólafur Elíasson.

Must-have item: A custom-print day dress in Palash Coral.

Signature color: Palash Coral

Sachin + Babi

Sachin + Babi

Pantone Color: Dazzling Blue #18-3949

Inspiration: Blooms of magnolia against vibrant florals — we wanted to use strong colors.

Must-have item: A full-length dress and ball skirt, and also the wide-leg cropped trouser.

Signature color: Cobalt blue

Adeam

Adeam

Pantone color: Sand #15-1225

Inspiration: Early Summer flowers in Japan, especially hydrangeas that come in various shades of blue and pink.

Must-have item: A sweatshirt with quilted leather shoulders in one of our original prints, the Decay print, which is inspired by plant cells under a microscope. I paired it with a matching print skirt with hidden chiffon panels for a more sophisticated look.

Signature color: Glass Green

BCBG Max Azria

BCBG Max Azria

Pantone color: Paloma #16-0000

Inspiration: Contemporary art inspired the choice of vivid colors, while more muted tones glean inspiration from watercolors.

Must-have item: An easy shirtdress in chambray blue or white.

Signature color: Shades of pink

Emilio Sosa

Emilio Sosa

Pantone color: Violet Tulip #16-3823

Inspiration: A recent trip to Arizona and the sunset's magical effect on the landscape.

Must-have item: The lace trench dress in Dusty Ruellia.

Signature color: Dusty Ruellia

Whit NY

Whit NY

Pantone colors: Celosia Orange #17-1360 and Violet Tulip #16-3823

Inspiration: A recent trip to Bali. We spent weeks exploring the island and were particularly inspired by the ceremonial offerings during Bali's Holy Week.

Must-have item: A floral-printed dress with a bell-like tier over a long, slim skirt.

Signature color: Seafoam Green

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano

Pantone color: Cayenne #18-1651

Inspiration: A recent trip to Mexico's Isla Mujeres: the "Island of Women." I took influence from the shapes and imagery of grass-lined huts, picturesque colorblocked residential streets, stonework, and the locally abundant dahlia. There are day separates in vibrant Poppy Red and Blazing Yellow floral prints paired with raffia textiles and soft elegant organza for evening in Sand tones. The collection, like the island, is dramatic, powerful, bright, romantic, and light.

Must-have item: A colorful abstract floral print dress is our key item. It's a mix of Paradise Pink, Blazing Yellow, and Poppy Red.

Signature color: It's all about mixing prints and colors and textures together.

Ella Moss

Ella Moss

Pantone color: Placid Blue #15-3920

Inspiration: A sense of feminine confidence and playful attitudes.

Must-have item: A boxy top done in different fabrics from eyelets to printed poplins. It's modern, yet playful. Perfect for a fresh take on a classic t-shirt shape.

Signature colors: Chambray and indigo

Juicy Couture

Juicy Couture

Pantone color: Radiant Orchid #18-3224

Inspiration: Each season, we draw inspiration from the iconic Juicy girl and her surroundings. She embraces the new season with a fresh start, taking to the road and exploring her passion for adventure, revitalizing her wardrobe with effortless sportswear in bold yet feminine colors.

Must-have item: A moto jacket in black paired with a floral printed maxi dress in Highlighter Pink for the perfect mix of effortless LA style.

Signature color: Highlighter Pink

Emerson

Emerson

Pantone colors: Radiant Orchid #18-3224, Violet Tulip #16-3823, and Hemlock #15-6114

Inspiration: The clash of two worlds: punk rock meets Upper East Side.

Must-have item: The shift dress. Its print has a variety of colors that pop, including deep purple, raspberry pink, and lime green. There are also some undertones of lavender and stone gray. This is a classic silhouette with an edge; it has exposed side zippers on the waist and a center back two-way zipper.

Signature color: Deep purple

Nanette Lepore

Nanette Lepore

Pantone color: Cayenne #18-1651

Inspiration: Supernature.

Must-have item: A floaty, long, slip dress — in colors ranging from a Bombshell Red to Boudoir Blush.

Signature color: Bombshell Red

Hervé Léger

Hervé Léger

Pantone colors: Paloma #16-0000 and Sand #15-1225

Inspiration: We are looking at different cultural and geological references as our Spring 2014 inspirations. One of the references that we came across is this amazing picture of a face tattoo on an old Samoan chief.

Must-have item: A body-con peplum dress with silver zipper detail.

Signature color: Silver

Lela Rose

Lela Rose

Pantone colors: Paloma #16-0000 and Freesia #14-0852

Inspiration: I am always drawn to saturated, rich tones that excite the eye, and spring 2014 is no exception. In addition to the rich tones, I have added in softer tones like Dusted Pink and Ice Blue, which help give balance to the bolder tones.

Must-have item: A modernist print trouser-leg pant with a beige-colored pleated back trench is a favorite look. The multicolored pant is blocked with the print, and the trench takes you to any event day or night.

Signature color: Ice Blue

Tracy Reese

Tracy Reese

Pantone Colors: Dazzling Blue #18-3949 and Cayenne #18-1651

Inspiration: Tribal cultures from Africa to the Caribbean and South America.

Must-have item: A tropical-print slip dress in a moody pink floral print.

Signature color: Different shades of blue

M.Patmos

M.Patmos

Pantone colors: Dazzling Blue #18-3949 and Placid Blue #15-3920

Inspiration: Nostalgic '60s beach scenes including stills of Anna Karina in Pierrot le Fou, a Jean-Luc Godard film.

Must-have item: Our sleeveless double-faced coat.

Signature color: Sky blue

Rachel Roy

Rachel Roy

Pantone color: Freesia #14-0852

Inspiration: The strength and elegance of women.

Must-have item: A jumpsuit with a dinner jacket in Precious Amber.

Signature color: Precious Amber

Nicole Miller

Nicole Miller

Pantone colors: Hemlock #15-6114 and Violet Tulip #16-3823

Inspiration: The idea of social unrest in a garden party.

Must-have item: An embellished jacket — it is black, white, and Candy Pink.

Signature color: Pool

Pamella Roland

Pamella Roland

Pantone color: Celosia Orange #17-1360

Inspiration: While attending this year's Cannes Film Festival, I was inspired by the spirit of the South of France and the glamour that the festival has brought to the French Riviera for decades.

Must-have item: A Flamingo and Candy Pink t-shirt dress with a beaded front is a must have for any occasion.

Signature color: Flamingo

Rebecca Minkoff

Rebecca Minkoff

Pantone colors: Freesia #14-0852, Hemlock #15-6114, and Cayenne #18-1651

Inspiration: The collection is grounded by Classic Chalk White, reminiscent of South American white-washed villas. Warm, rich Terra-Cotta reminds us of artisan tile work.

Must-have item: A shoe that comes in black and white, with tassels that are Vibrant Sun and Rich Tangerine. It's a fun shoe that you can't help but want to put on immediately once you see it!

Signature colors: Vibrant Sun and Tangerine

Saunder

Saunder

Pantone colors: Dazzling Blue #18-3949, Sand #15-1225, and Freesia #14-0852

Inspiration: The inspiration was a 1930s archeological dig in Mesopotamia. The palette is composed of warm neutrals (that evoke the feeling of earth and sand) juxtaposed with bright, saturated colors like tangerine and indigo, the types of bright colors one might imagine to have been originally painted on the Assyrian sculptures found on those digs, before time weathered the pigments away.

Must-have item: The brushed twill safari jacket with leopard jacquard inserts in Moroccan Indigo is a must-have Spring coverup.

Signature color: Tangerine

Cynthia Steffe

Cynthia Steffe

Pantone color: Cayenne #18-1651

Inspiration: The shades of blooming Spring flowers at Huntington Gardens — from the intense saturated shades of deep pink to the delicate hint of blush. We mixed the two types of shades — both cool and warm — as we would see them in nature.

Must-have item: Our vintage-inspired floral-printed cotton dobby pretty dress. The tea length and pleating and shirring details evoke pure classic femininity, while the fabric combination — the sheer illusion organza yoke — is on trend.

Signature color: Peach Amber

Tadashi Shoji

Tadashi Shoji

Pantone color: Violet Tulip #16-3823

Inspiration: The femininity and strength of a woman; a feminine liberation.

Must-have item: The ivory scalloped lace dress with flared skirt. It is a feminine and flirty piece that you can dress up or down.

Signature color: White

Trina Turk

Trina Turk

Pantone colors: Plaid Blue #15-3920, Paloma #16-0000, and Cayenne #18-1651

Inspiration: A road trip down the California coastline.

Must-have item: A fabric-mixed sweatshirt.

Signature color: Grapefruit