Today's Highlights

• Ready for red?
• Color trends -- spring 2007
• Chiliwear on hot streak

NEWS

Trion:Z takes top honors on, off course

Trion:Z reports that it received "Best of Show" honors at last month's PGA Merchandise Show, and was worn by the winner of the Nissan Open.

F&G debuts its 2007 women's line

Fairway & Greene reports that its ladies' business grew 28 percent in 2006, which now represents 12 percent of the company's overall volume.

Keri Golf earns PGA Show honor

Keri Golf receives a Golfing Magazine "Best of Show" honor at last month's PGA Merchandise Show. Keri Golf was chosen from among more than 1,250 vendors as one of the top soft goods exhibitors.

PrideSports sweeps PGA Tour events

PrideSports reports that the winners of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and The Mayakoba Classic wore its Pulsar cleats.

Lija earns PGA Show honor

Lija receives a Golfing Magazine "Best of Show" honor at last month's PGA Merchandise Show.

APPAREL

Ready for red?

By Janice Ferguson
GPA Fashion Correspondent

We expect to see red in mass during particular seasons -- Santa Claus' suit around Christmas, Valentine hearts in mid-Feburary -- but now the color will continue its prominence as a major fashion trend for the remainder of this year.

Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, selects Pantone No. 19-1557 -- Chili Pepper, a deep, spicy red -- as the color of the year for 2007.

"Whether expressing danger, celebration, love or passion, red will not be ignored," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "In 2007, there is an awareness of the melding of diverse cultural influences, and Chili Pepper is a reflection of exotic tastes both on the tongue and to the eye. Nothing reflects the spirit of adventure more than the color red. At the same time, Chili Pepper speaks to a certain level of confidence and taste."

Much is written and talked about in reference to Tiger Woods' Sunday red and his unrelenting level of confidence -- hmm.

"Incorporating this color (red) into wardrobe and living space adds drama and excitement, as it stimulates the senses," Eiseman said.

The engaging, resonant hue of Chili Pepper red strikes a high note for fashion and personal expression as its boldness is appealingly sophisticated and enticing. In a time when personality is reflected in everything from a cell phone to a Web page on a social networking site, red connotes an outgoing, confident, design-savvy attitude.

The color red has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity with the successful launch of Bono and Bobby Shriver's (Product)Red, which benefits the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The eye-catching shade will no doubt play a major role in upcoming apparel and footwear collections.

"In 2007, we're going to see people making greater strides toward expressing their individuality," said Lisa Herbert, executive vice president of the fashion, home and interiors division at Pantone. "The color red makes a bold statement. We're seeing shifts in people's opinions on current events and major changes in the way they are expressing themselves through new technology. People are open to the possibilities of the future and Chili Pepper celebrates that."

Designers and fashion experts add caution when wearing bold, bright colors. For the most sophisticated look, add the jolt of color as an accent to a palette of gentle neutrals.

Pantone, Inc., has been the world's color authority for more than 40 years, providing design professionals with products and services for the colorful exploration and expression of creativity.

APPAREL

Color trends -- spring 2007

By Janice Ferguson
GPA Fashion Correspondent

Seasonal color trends are determined well in advance of when consumers see them at retail, before buyers make their purchasing decision, and even prior to designers planning their collections.

We are bombarded with advertisements previewing spring fashion three to four months in advance of when we can actually wear them in most climates. Forcing us to think about short hemlines and tank tops is premature, especially when many of us are still wearing fur-trimmed boots, and the only color we can see -- because we're digging out of it -- is white.

Yet, spring is around the corner and that is no cliché. Thinking about color going from winter into spring - graceful pink budding fruit trees or bright yellow crops of wild daffodils - brings a sense of renewal, of new beginnings.

Sometimes, though, when you read about spring fashion in magazines and catalogs, or watch fashion week coverage on television, it seems the colors really do not change that much from season to season, year to year. Are they simply given a new, trendy name to maintain in vogue status, and make us rush to the nearest mall?

"Most often, colors are not completely reinvented each season," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "Instead, they evolve from one season to the next. The Apple Cinnamon of fall, for example, becomes the Café Crème of spring. What does change each season is the variation of the colors, and/or the combinations of colors. While navy, black and white are still a presence for spring '07, designers are choosing a greater variety of neutrals as the canvas for this season's captivating new hues."

In addition to naming Chile Pepper red as the color of the year for 2007, Pantone Inc., surveys the designers of New York Fashion Week for the season's most important color trends. For this spring, the survey reports that designers are using surprising neutrals with innovative splashes of corals, yellows and purples to create a spring in bloom.

The report also states: Tarragon is the freshly cut stem to the blossoming shades of sweet Strawberry Ice, warm Golden Apricot and violet-infused Hollyhock. Café Crème is the rich, creamy contrast to the serenity of calming Sky blue or the deliciousness of refreshing Grapemist. The yellow glow of gleaming Green Sheen and the blushing beauty of diaphanous Silver Peony reflect the infusion of life brought by spring.

While cool Frost Gray was an important presence in fall 2006, the newest neutral for spring is found in glimmering Opal Gray, providing the background to spring's multifaceted, complex bright colors that can make even the most basic silhouette come alive.



In addition to Pantone's forecasts, trend analyst Worth Global Style Network reports that orange has emerged as an unexpected key color for spring/summer 2007, adding a dash of sharpness to sophisticated neutrals.

Used in its purest form, orange has a powerful spiritual simplicity. Alternatively, paired with neutrals such as sandstone, dune, cement or granite, orange takes on the mantle of the newest Modernist highlight. WGSN sees orange going forward for spring/summer 2008.

If you're starting to see rainbows, Color Portfolio president Carol Meek commented in a recent World Shoe Association Today article that's exactly what buyers should expect for 2007. In this expanded palette, there's room for everything from eye-popping brights to soft, muted neutrals.

"This season is not just about one color, but many," Meek said. "What's important is to use a mixture of colors."

That mix-and-match approach extends not just to color, but to pattern as well.

"In apparel, the trend is really about mismatching, like mixing stripes with florals or plaids with stripes," Meek said. "The color range in the neutral category is becoming wider."

Meek notes that adobe, terra cotta, and flesh tones are becoming widely accepted neutrals, while sage, teal blue and butter yellow will soon join the category.

Such an extensive range of hues may seem overwhelming, but the good news is that it is almost impossible to go wrong. The definition of what's "right" for warm weather is changing.

"Colors have really become season-less," Meek said. "Nowadays, almost anything goes."