Callum, Ian Callum’s British design and engineering studio, has introduced its Colour of the Year for 2025 – Aqua Mist, a fresh pastel blend of green and blue.
The Colour of the Year 2025 is the first of what will become an annual forecast of color trends in the automotive domain from Callum’s team of color, material and finishes experts. Inspired by recent projects, the team has redefined its approach to color, centering on the impact of color and the emotional responses it can evoke.
By selecting a signature shade for the year ahead, the brand hopes to anticipate and influence trends while demonstrating its creativity. Callum’s color, material and finishes designer, Charlotte Jones, said, “Aqua Mist offers a fresh, calming energy. Its soft and cool undertones are associated with tranquility and openness, providing a balanced base that doesn’t overwhelm the senses. Its versatility means it is suited to a number of applications, materials and surface textures, while layering with Callum’s specially selected balancing colors creates a fun, energetic vibe.”
Jones added, “Recent projects and collaborations have given us valuable insights into the needs, preferences and experiences of a variety of customers, particularly those who rely on well-considered, inclusive design to enhance accessibility and comfort. We want the Callum Colour of the Year to spark conversations about how color resonates with the emotional needs of customers and can help shape spaces and products that elicit deeper emotional responses.”
The Callum team has identified a complementary palette. Teaming Aqua Mist with balancing colors Neon Riot and Midnight Tide, it has created a trio that offers an energetic yet approachable look, ideal for designs that need both vibrancy and sophistication – perfect for playful brands.
Callum says that Neon Riot is an attention-grabbing hot pink that is bold and youthful, giving any design a sense of dynamism and fun. Midnight Tide, on the other hand, is a rich, deep blue that grounds the other two colors with its intense, darker shade, making the overall palette balanced and mature.
Design director Ian Callum said, “Every design team in the world looks at future aesthetics to stay relevant and appeal to ever-evolving consumer tastes. Plus, it’s creative and a lot of fun. The Callum Colour of the Year 2025 is the first time we’ve made any of our forecasting work public.”
To mark its Colour of the Year, Callum will subtly incorporate Aqua Mist into its branding throughout 2025.
