Toning Up for Fall

Uniqlo's new Pantone-approved cashmere

October 11, 2007—Pantone has put its signature pigments on everything from Sharp cell phones to Barber Osgerby furniture, so a fashion collaboration would seem only natural. Unfortunately, its first, a T-shirt line for Uniqlo last spring, was overshadowed by the label's hipster-friendly UT line, which was designed by the likes of Terry Richardson, Kim Jones, and Gareth Pugh. Attempt number two, a series of cashmere sweaters, hits Uniqlo next month and includes crewnecks and cardigans done in 20 different hues, all of which skew toward "more complex muted colors, the dark and murky shades," as Lisa Herbert, VP of Pantone's apparel division puts it. Designs are mostly muted as well, though the cardigans', ahem, button-up neck helps them stand out from the cashmere currently flooding retail outlets. And in a fortuitous bit of marketing synergy, the launch coincides with Uniqlo's 25,000-square-foot London store, opening Nov. 7. Dark and murky? In England? It'll never work.

Speaking of synergy, Pantone has just overhauled its legendary Matching System—essentially the design industry's Rosetta stone—for the first time in 45 years. The new so-called Goe System adds 2,000 colors for graphic designers to play around with. Our favorite: 138-5-3. (Trust us—it's awesome.)

Pantone Color Collection cashmere sweaters, $129.50; Uniqlo, 311 Oxford St., London, 011-44-0208-247-9200 (temporary number), uniqlo.com; Pantone Goe System book, $499, pantone.com