Yellow's the fashion mantra to beat the global gloom in 2009

Melbourne, Dec 4 : Going out to do some shopping for the New Year? Well, then make sure that your 'buy-list' includes the colour yellow, for a leading source has predicted that the cheerful and sunny shade is the influential colour of 2009.

Pantone, which provides colour standards to design industries, has specifically cited "mimosa" as its top shade of the New Year.

"Mimosa" is a vibrant shade of yellow illustrated by the flowers of some mimosa trees as well as the brunch-favourite cocktail.

Generally, Pantone is hoping that people would adopt many tones of optimistic yellow.

"I think it's just the most wonderful symbolic colour of the future. It's invariably connected to warmth, sunshine and cheer - all the good things we're in dire need of right now," Courier Mail quoted Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute, as saying.

And now, the fashion industry is also embracing yellow, which had already been gaining popularity on the ramp.

"People know yellow lightens up the atmosphere," said Eiseman.

Tom Mirabile, vice president of global trends and design at Lifetime Brands, Inc., whose portfolio includes Cuisinart, Farberware and Pfaltzgraff, said that home-goods companies based in Paris and Milan, Italy, have already been heavily influenced by yellow.

It helps that it looks good in florals and has a close association with nature, a driving force in the marketplace right now, and it complements current favourites green and purple.

"I'd say you should get used to seeing yellow in places you're not used to seeing it," said Eiseman.

In 2008, "blue iris," a purple-tinged blue, was colour of the year.

ANI