PPG Paints Brings Annual 'Global Color Conference' Home To Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's a kaleidoscope of color as experts from three continents gather at Hotel Monaco for the eighth annual Global Color Conference, sponsored by PPG.
The Pittsburgh company is the world's leading manufacturer of paint.
Color marketing manager Dee Schlotter says these connoisseurs of color are planning ahead.
"We're bringing in 25, 26 color experts from six countries to choose the colors for 2018 that will be trending in all of our markets - from architectural to aerospace to automotive," Schlotter said.
Automotive is Jane Harrington's specialty.
"Detroit just had the North American International Auto Show a couple weeks ago," she says, "and I was surprised at the number of blue cars that were revealed. The other color that I was surprised to see was the number of rich browns."
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter
The unsettled mood of today's world also affects our color choices. Right now, earth tones are popular as stress relievers.
But the top color for 2018 is violet verbena, better known as purple. Well, kind of a grayish purple. But color styling manager Allison Heape says cell phone owners are almost impossible to predict.
"Somebody that's going to buy a silver cell phone, or a black cell phone, or that default basic cell phone, they might fit into a certain trend category. But there's going to be another person who aligns with the pink cell phone, or the rose telephone," she said.
It's probably best to play it safe it safe - with violet verbena.
Schlotter says they can't reveal what next year's color trends will be, but she admitted to the "KDKA Morning News" they'll be "less edgy."
"I can tell you that the colors for next year will be more faded than this year and that's all from our need to get in spaces that make us relaxed and get away from a lot of the chatter of the outside world," says Schlotter.
Schlotter adds the color experts visiting are "loving the city," and that they are impressed by the food choices Pittsburgh has to offer.
