Why Businesses Need the Color Association of the United States

Industries are dependent on fortune tellers. Knowing what the general public is going to want next year or even the year after that can make or break a new product line. One of the elements most important to such industries as interior design, graphic design, and fashion is color. Knowing which colors consumers will be attracted to in a year's time is essential knowledge to the health of a business, and they rely on predictions.

One such fortune teller is the Color Association of the United States, located in New York. Originally called the Textile Color Card Association (TCCA), the Color Association has been predicting color trends since 1915. Before this association was founded, the milliners (hat makers) were responsible for setting color and fashion trends. This group depended on Germany for dyestuffs and Paris for fashion information. After World War I, the lines of global communication had changed, and the industries dependent on such information took matters into their own hands. Thus, the Textile Color Card Association was born.

The current Color Association of the United States works in committee style to develop detailed reports regarding future color trends, approximately 18 months in advance. The color forecasts are broken down into four categories: Men's, Women's, Youth, and Interiors. Just as the original TCCA developed color cards that were the predicted palettes, so does the Color Association. The cards are displayed in silks and yarns for the fashion industry, and in silk-screen color chips and fabrics and/or wallpapers samples for the Interiors booklet.

The Color Association distributes its reports to its members. Members consist of businesses; graphic design firms, fashion designers, and interior decorators are but a few of the industries that benefit from such a membership.

Membership falls into two categories: Corporate and Individual, with Individual membership being available to small businesses consisting of one or two people.