Some of the participants who worked on identifying the key colours for the 2016/17 collection during the Chromazone workshop.

NIPPON Paint Malaysia Group has launched its second Trend Beyond Colours batch of paints, unveiling nine key colour palettes that are expected to drive utilisation across various industries and applications in 2016 and 2017.

Nippon Paint said they were hues that arose from the Asian perspective.

The nine trend colours were curated and handpicked by more than 50 design professionals, colour experts and enthusiasts from the Asia Pacific region, including Malaysia, Singapore, China, India, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines and Japan, during the Asia Pacific ChromaZone Colour Forecasting Workshop 2015 in Japan earlier this year.

The workshop was organised by Colour Marketing Group (CMG), the leading authority in identifying, understanding and forecasting colour trends, in collaboration with Nippon Paint.

Yaw says it’s important that Asia forms its own unique colour palettes to drive the trend in terms of colour application or expressions.

“As the Total Coatings Expert, Nippon Paint continuously pushes the boundaries of paint and colours to pioneer and redefine the Asian palettes, inspiring consumers to re-think paint and re-create possibilities on all surfaces,” said Nippon Paint Malaysia group managing director Yaw Seng Heng.

“Colours form a very big part of the Asian culture and Asia is one of the fastest growing continents in the world, both in terms of size and population, comprising almost two-thirds of the seven billion world population.

“This further reinforces the reason it’s important that Asia forms its own unique colour palettes to drive the trend in terms of colour application or expressions,” he added.

The Chromazone workshop is the only convergence of Asian professionals to create Asian palettes specifically for the region, and the forecast colours are expected to form an important reference point, influencing a wide range of industries from automotive and fashion to electronic gadget and architectural and interior spaces.

CMG and Nippon Paint held the first workshop last year, resulting in the inaugural Trend Beyond Colours 2015/16. The 2016/17 palettes, according to Nippon paint, are more vibrant and versatile.

“Nippon Paint’s Trend Beyond Colours 2016/17 captures the region’s essence, from its beautiful landscape to its increasingly connected people driven by technology. Essentially, the Trend Beyond Colours makes it easier for consumers to create their own masterpieces – with a little more vibrancy,” Yaw said.

“The forecast colours is also relevant across multi-platforms, multi-industries as manufacturers and designers recognise the growing value of Asian consumers and businesses through colour applications,” he added.

This latest collection comes in three colour themes – “We Are One, “New Eco” and “Wonder-Lust”. Each theme features three unique colours, allowing consumers to explore and express their imagination.

Some of the participants who worked on identifying the key colours for the 2016/17 collection during the Chromazone workshop.

The first series, “We Are One”, features modern colours relating to new age technology and social media with the colours Founder Blue (NP PB 1527D), Gray Knight (NP N 2001T), and Green Tuft (NP BGG 1666A). The second series, “New Eco” celebrates the wonders and simplicity of Mother Earth with Tavern Buff (NP N 1867P), Lush (NP BGG 1605T) and Volcanic Black (NP N 1918A).

The third collection, “Wonder-Lust” embodies today’s “you only live once” culture with Being Peach (NP YO 1219T), Fast Car (NP AC 2076A) and Blue Lullaby (NP PB 1550P).

“To create these palettes, we analysed the effects of colours and how behaviour is influenced by colour, fashion, retail performance, lifestyle trends and culture in today’s world.

“The publication is packed with many photos and ideas, featuring our designers’ personal tips and recommendations on how the colour palette can be cleverly and innovatively applied on both interior and exterior surfaces,” Yaw said.

“Moreover, through Nippon Paint’s technological innovations, these colours can be coated to almost any imaginable surfaces including wood, tiles, cement, slate and glass,” he said.

Yaw said consumers could use these colours to mimic the look and feel of three-dimensional textures of stone, marble, velvet, or satin using the series of Nippon Paint Momento Special Effect Paint.

“We want both consumers as well as businesses to be adventurous in exploring various colour applications and interpretations,” he said.