Pantone has unveiled a new purple shade in honor of Prince, the superstar musical artist who used purple as his trademark color.
The Prince Estate and Pantone Color Institute announced the color, Love Symbol #2, was inspired by Prince’s custom-made Yamaha purple piano and would be his brand’s official color going forward, CNN reported. The color’s name also refers to the symbol by which Prince referred to himself for a part of his career before switching back to the name Prince.
“The color purple was synonymous with who Prince was and will always be,” Prince Estate entertainment adviser Troy Carter said in a statement, CNN reported. “This is an incredible way for his legacy to live on forever.”
Prince died of an opioid overdose in April 2016, and his fans have celebrated him using purple since that time. His 1984 hit album “Purple Rain” has become iconic in the music world, and Prince also wore purple in his wardrobe frequently and drove purple cars.
“A musical icon known for his artistic brilliance, Love Symbol #2 is emblematic of Prince’s distinctive style,” Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute Laurie Pressman said in a release, adding that she was honored to have helped develop the hue for him.
The Prince Estate expects to release products using the custom color with various partners in the future, Variety reported.
Some on Twitter thought the name should’ve been Purple Rain, while others liked the choice.