The presentation took place in the format of a live discussion, moderated by the editor-in-chief of PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA Konstantin KovshevatskyAkzoNobel marketing specialist shares her thoughts and experiences Anna of Canary, Sadolin brand ambassador and co-founder of Sasha Assaul design studio Alexander Assaul, as well as leading Ukrainian designers and architects: interior designer, founder of the Mdesign Architecture Interior studio Kateryna Mardanova, designer, founder of the Litvinenko Design studio and the The O brand Yevheniy Litvinenko and architect, artist, collector, founder of the FEDORA.ART brand Lina Fedorenko.
Color as a response to society's demands
The meeting started Konstantin Kovshevatsky, who asked a rhetorical question: why are we even talking about the color of the year? "Does the search for what will set the trend in color help us, journalists, designers, architects? We will talk and consider this story from different sides. Both from the side of the company, which conducts very deep research, and from the side of the designers who feel the proposed colors," the moderator noted.
Chief editor of PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA Kostyantyn Kovshevatsky
Konstantin handed over the floor to the AkzoNobel marketing specialist in Ukraine Anna Kanarskaya. According to her, the choice of the color of the year is the result of large-scale analytical work by international experts, and not just creative inspiration. “There is a lot of work behind this: analytical, statistical, the work of colorists and international experts. All areas of our lives are analyzed: social, design, architecture, politics, culture, fashion design. Our Global Aesthetic Center has been working on research for over 20 years, involving the most famous architects, object designers and colorists. In addition, a group of international experts from various fields is involved: representatives of publications, political figures, environmentalists,” notes Anna.
AkzoNobel Marketing Specialist in Ukraine Anna Kanarska
According to her, experts focus on trend-setting countries, including the United Kingdom, France, China and Brazil, which are most sensitive to changes in the world. The specialist also emphasized that the color of the year is not a fleeting phenomenon: "The head of the Global Aesthetic Center Helen van Gent says that color cannot work for one year. The colors that we choose today will be relevant for about five more years." As an example of the continuity of color trends, Anna Kanarska mentions the spring collection of Dior clothes, most of which was presented in the color Sweet Embrace, presented by Sadolin experts as the color of 2024.
The choice of the color of the year is the result of extensive analytical work by international experts, not just creative inspiration.
Sadolin brand ambassador Alexandra Assaul, who was tasked with presenting the colors of the coming year, notes that over the 22 years of ColourFutures’ existence, there has been a trend towards more neutral, natural colors. “They are dusty, complex, and there will be more of them,” adds Oleksandra.
Three rhythms, three moods, three colors
For the first time, AkzoNobel proposed not one, but three colors of the year at once. Why this happened, explained Alexandra Assaul. According to her, this is due to three key moods that prevail in society today: "As architects and designers, we always try to find out the mood of the client. Global Aesthetic Center does the same, but on a global scale.
The Color of the Year was presented by Sadolin brand ambassador Oleksandra Assaul
The first mood is a pause for reflection. Due to the constant presence in messengers and news, we get tired. On the one hand, this is great, because we have become dynamic, and we can do a lot, but on the other hand, it is very exhausting. And this situation creates a desire to be a little quiet, to slow down. The second mood is to be in rhythm with the world. There is a concept of “blue zones”, which designates regions in which people live their happiest and longest lives: these are Greece, Italy, Costa Rica and part of Japan. Studies of these zones have shown that the most important criterion by which a harmonious life is determined is a sense of community. There, the tradition of gathering together, eating together, and spending leisure time together has been preserved. We are social beings, and it is important for us to feel a sense of community, to unite for natural exchange, and not to sit in a digitized environment. And the third mood is revolutionary"... When everything seems to be falling apart, it opens up the possibility for something new. If we don't know what to be, it tells us that we can be anything. We can do anything we want. We can create a revolution even with color."
Oleksandra Assaul talks about the prevailing mood in society that prompted the choice of three colors of the year
These three moods became the basis for the three shades of blue that were chosen as the colors of 2026:
- Slow Swing — deep, dark and calm blue for those who seek to slow down;
- Mellow Flow — a soft, light blue to create a sense of flow and community;
- Free Groove — a bright and energetic blue for those who are brave and ready to experiment.
Alexandra asks the question: why do we love blue so much? And she immediately answers it: "Firstly, blue is, according to all polls, the most favorite color of most people in the world. That is, the largest number of people see something beautiful in it. Why? Because it is the color of the ocean, the color of the sky, cornflowers, sapphire, Chinese porcelain. "Blue jeans are the most beautiful thing since the invention of the gondola," said American fashion critic Diana Vreeland. She was the editor of Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, then became a consultant to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is a cult figure in the history of fashion, who was in a way a revolutionary. She said that you can wear blue or black, and you will always be at your best.
The presentation of the color of the year was attended by famous Ukrainian designers, architects and artists
"Blue in interiors seems to expand the boundaries. It seems to change the shape of the space a little bit. Depending on how you use it, it can play completely differently."
«"Blue in interiors seems to expand the boundaries. It seems to change the shape of the space a little. And depending on how you use it, it can play in completely different ways," — Alexandra Assaul
The Sadolin brand ambassador also introduced three palettes that will help you work harmoniously with the new colors. Palette Slow combines dark blue with natural shades of brown and beige, creating a sense of grounding. Palette Flow combines sky blue with warm terracotta and earthy tones, giving the feeling of a "warm embrace." And the brightest palette Groove created for those who are not afraid to experiment with color and unusual application techniques to "comfort their inner child."
The presentation of the color of the year took place in the GNRTR Coworking space
Panel discussion
The second part of the event Konstantin Kovshevatsky started with a provocative question that set the tone for the entire discussion: "Why do we need all this? Do such initiatives help in life and work when the designer is essentially dictated what the color of the year will be?"
The meaning and nature of color trends
Kateryna Mardanova was the first to speak, admitting that working with color is always a challenge for her: "I always say to myself: 'Why am I getting involved in this story called color?' Because we all understand: when we start working with color, we will have problems, for sure. We encounter it in every little thing. So it's about courage, budget and timing."
Interior designer, founder of Mdesign Architecture Interior studio Kateryna Mardanova
He presented his view on the situation. Yevheniy Litvinenko. In his opinion, the trends are based on purely economic reasons: “I studied American industrial design of the 40s and 50s, there is such an interesting story there as planned obsolescence. Today this thing is in trend, and tomorrow it is already old. Americans periodically create new meanings using a certain color palette for the same product in order to sell more. And in fact, in my opinion, this is just one of the techniques to sell more or simply change the meanings and sell old products, but in new colors.”
The founder of the Litvinenko Design studio and the The O brand, Yevgeny Litvinenko, reflects on the essence of color trends
She replied to this Anna of Canary, explaining that manufacturing companies are more likely to satisfy a need that has already arisen in society than to impose it. "There is no color in nature that cannot be toned down. Trendiness is about something else. I showed the 2013 palette, and there are colors there that we look at differently now. It is unlikely that our client would choose a certain combination that was relevant then. It seems to me that here we need to proceed from what is relevant now, what the world really expects, and large manufacturers satisfy this need," Anna noted.
AkzoNobel Marketing Specialist in Ukraine Anna Kanarska explains that the manufacturer satisfies the consumer's need
The discussion was picked up by Alexander Assaul: "Here you can argue what came first: the chicken or the egg. Do we first impose color on the consumer, or does the client actually come with some desire, and we just need to find the key to how to satisfy this need?"
On mind Lina Fedorenko, trends become a great tool in working with clients who don't have clear wishes. She said that her customers are divided into two types: "Some come with very specific ideas, for example: 'I want the interior to be bright red, like fresh arterial blood, and bright blue, because these are the colors of my childhood, cheap American action movies.' And there are clients who don't have any requests. And then I'm very grateful to the companies that produce the color of the year, palettes. You can just offer it to a person, and they say: 'Yes, I like this direction.' And then you follow this trend."
Discussion panel: Oleksandra Assaul, Anna Kanarska, Lina Fedorenko, Kateryna Mardanova and Yevhen Lytvynenko
Color in the urban environment
The discussion smoothly moved from general trends to their implementation in the public space. Kostyantyn Kovshevatsky began with the problem of the lack of competition nominations for the use of color in Ukraine: "In the West, there is such a story, and our interiors even received awards there. But we have nothing. What do you think, why?"
Lina Fedorenko explained this by the subjectivity of perception: "Color is very individual, it is impossible to find a consensus here. I had a story when my regular customers, who love restrained, "noble" colors, came to look at the bright interior of another client and said: "This is a coffin, you can lie down and die here." Therefore, color is an emotion, and it is difficult to work with it."
“There are clients who have no requests. And then I am very grateful to the companies that produce the color of the year, palettes. You can simply offer it to a person, and they say: “Yes, I like this direction”. And then you follow this trend,” — Lina Fedorenko
The moderator, agreeing, called it an “educational story” and drew attention to the Ukrainian architectural landscape. “Let’s talk about Kyiv: what about our architecture today? Is there work with color there, or are we somewhere in metal and glass?”
Kostyantyn Kovshevatsky is interested in how color is used in architecture in Kyiv
According to Kateryna Mardanova, Kyiv is not yet ready for bright experiments, unlike European cities: “We have all been to Amsterdam and seen how boldly they work with color. The buildings are of incredible colors, and it’s “wow”. But everything there is small, fabulous. We cannot afford such things in the center of Kyiv. How do the Italians do it? They have an approved palette in each city: 23 colors for facades, 4 shades for the roof — and that’s it. And you choose within these colors. For our urban planning, I believe, there should also be a conditional “50 shades of gray”.”
Alexandra Assaul and Anna Kanarska
Anna Kanarska looked at the problem from the manufacturer's side, pointing out the practical aspects: "We have cases when houses have not yet been completed, and the color has already been lost. Why? Because developers use cheap paints. We have no demand for high-quality, expensive materials for facades. Therefore, it makes sense to focus on restrained colors, because the more intense the pigment — blue, green, red — the faster it fades."
Color psychology and customer interaction
At the end of the meeting, the moderator suggested discussing the personal perception of color and the complexity of working with a customer, mentioning the influence of mass culture. “There are films and TV series that actively work with color. Sometimes these palettes move from our screens into everyday life. For example, the film “Barbie” caused a whole wave of the so-called Barbiecore. For a while, we saw bright pink on our streets, mostly on girls. Has it ever happened to you that a shade from a film or book inspired you and your customer?” — asked Konstantin.
Kateryna Mardanova immediately reacted to the "barbicore" example: "Regarding pink. We were told that it's "girly". But I like how a pink sweater looks on a masculine man. And how it goes with antique things. Pink goes great with everything: brown, black, green. It's one of the easiest colors to work with."
Interior designer, founder of Mdesign Architecture Interior studio Kateryna Mardanova
Then Kostyantyn Kovshevatsky asked the final question: "What about complex colors? Last year's yellow from Sadolin seemed a bit "painful" to me, but it turned out that in the hands of the master everything works. Is it easy for the master to work with the customer so that he believes in such colors?"
At the end of the conversation, Oleksandra Assaul shared an instructive story about how important it is to feel the client, and not impose trends on him: "There was a case when I offered a client a bright mustard chair. He agreed, was delighted, everyone complimented him. And a few years later he said: "Can we change it to gray?" It turned out that it was "not his". And we cut the luxurious leather and changed it. The client is happy, but everything inside me is shrinking. So next time I think: do I need to pressure, do I need democracy, not dictatorship?"
The discussion was summarized by Oleksandra Assaul
This lively discussion once again proved that color is much more than just a trend; it is the language with which society speaks about its moods and needs. Alexandra's story about the mustard-colored chair reminded us that the main criterion for the success of any color solution remains the feeling of harmony and comfort of a particular person. That is why the three new shades of blue offer not dictates, but variability, allowing everyone to find their own rhythm in space and life.
Photo: Maksym Drobinenko
