PERSONAL BRANDING TOOLBOX

It's time to shape your personal brand and at SheBuildsBrands we encourage you to colour outside the lines.

It happens every year and whilst it may not have struck a chord with you before, this year (for reasons we will soon divulge) it definitely should. No, not London Fashion Week, we’re talking about Pantone Colour of the Year. Each year colour experts at the Pantone Colour Institute pore over data and analysis of everything from art and design, food and entertainment to travel and technology, all to bring the public a colour of the year. And this year, we’re going bright and bold with ultra violet.

Fellow boss chic and vice-president of the Pantone Colour Institute, Laurie Pressman, said: “The Pantone colour of the year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today”.

Rightly so, as creative inspiration is indigenous to this blue-based purple that Pantone describe as a ‘provocative and thoughtful purple shade’.

(Carolina Herera SS18, Area SS18, Balenciaga SS18 and Versace SS18)

LFW SS18 collections have already adopted the highly stimulating colour, with some of our favourite designers sending models strutting down runways in an array of ultra violet fabrics, patterns and prints that would undoubtedly make even Prince swoon, and needless to say, we love them all.

So, what does this mean?

The world is awakening to the power of colour, with numerous publications and research papers delving into its ability to convey deep messages, underlying meanings and evoke power, emotion and response. A key part of building a solid personal brand identity is establishing colours that prescribe a message that assimilates with the MISSION, PROMISE and ATTITUDE of your brand, colour not only communicates your presence but can shift you into different modes of working, creating and thinking.

We do not endorse the notion that what you wear defines whom you are as a person, nor that it determines self-value – because it doesn’t. Ultimately, however, people are visual beings, if you consider every brand, from Coke to Google and everything in-between, it is undeniable that colour has benefitted the world’s biggest brands year after year; and it’s time for you to join in on the action and add colour to your personal branding toolbox.

So the next time you are looking questioningly at your wardrobe with a full day ahead, put down that default grey suit and ask yourself, “what do I want to feel today?” then “What do I want to make others feel today?” from a coat of purple nail polish, to a statement pair of red glasses, a single colour is a worth a thousand words.

Want to learn more about how to improve your personal branding? Join us at our next masterclass. Register for tickets now.