Vintage Color: Pantone + Seavees

In September 1963, Lawrence Herbert, Pantone’s founder, created a unique system for identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community. His insight that the spectrum is seen and interpreted differently by each individual led to the innovation of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM. Today, the PANTONE Name is known throughout the world and across a range of industries as the standard language for accurate color communication, from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.

For the first time in the company’s 45 year history and through an exclusive agreement, Pantone has allowed an external design team into its hallowed archives. SeaVees cofounders Steven Tiller and Derek Galkin selected seven vintage colors from the original PANTONE Color guide for the latest shoe palette. Chosen from the only authentic guide known to exist, the colors epitomize the cool, casual style of California in 1963.

“For the discerning taste of designers in various industries, Pantone is, quite simply, the color bible,” said Steven Tiller. “Each SeaVees style is named to honor an influential date in 1960’s California-cool history. The founding of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM is certainly a significant milestone in the design industry, and we think professionals and consumers alike will be drawn to the classic styling and original PANTONE Colors of the 09/63 Collection.”

“We are excited to extend the PANTONE UNIVERSE Brand of colorful, design-driven consumer products into footwear,” commented Lisa Herbert, executive vice president of the Pantone fashion, home and consumer division. “We continually look to offer our customers fun, new ways to bring color into their lives. We hope the 09/63 Collection will resonate with those who have relied on Pantone for inspiration and accurate color matching for decades, and provide another way to showcase their creativity through SeaVees in favorite PANTONE Colors