Pantone launches a new shade of red to combat menstruation stigma

Providing a universal language of colour that enables critical decisions through matching, Pantone is the largest colour matching system in the world, with its colour reproduction system allowing industries in textile, apparel, beauty, interior, as well as architectural and industrial design to help create art.

Using its influence, the company recently took to launch a new shade of red inspired by menstruating women.

"The bold and daring red shade matches the colour of a healthy menstrual flow," read the company's description.

Seeking to end the stigma surrounding the taboo topic, the advancement was done in collaboration with Intimina, a Swedish feminine product brand that devised the new colour as part of their 'Seen+Heard' campaign, aiming to empower and encouraging people regardless of gender, to talk in more detail about menstruation.

"An active and adventurous red hue, period emboldens people who menstruate to feel proud of who they are," said Laurie Pressman, vice-president of the Pantone Colour Institute.

“To own their period with self-assurance; to stand up and passionately celebrate the exciting and powerful life force they are born with; to urge everyone regardless of gender to feel comfortable to talk spontaneously and openly about this pure and natural bodily function.”

Intimina's global brand manager Danela Zagar also spoke about the shame attached to women that are on their period. "Despite the fact that billions of people experience menstruation, it has historically been treated as something that shouldn't be seen or talked about publicly," she said in a statement.

"And if we look at popular culture, depictions of periods have ranged from wildly inaccurate and unsympathetic to being the subject of jokes and derision."

While Pantone is best-known for its Colour of the Year, which this year went to its Classic Blue, the commendable new period red is garnering appreciation globally.