Pantone, the global colour authority and provider of professional colour language standards and digital solutions for the design community, has announced a strategic partnership with Spatial Labs (sLABS) for their first-ever wearable hardware product, LNQ.

The blockchain-enabled technology, coined by sLABS as ‘the wearable internet’, was founded by digital architect and visionary Iddris Sandu and is backed by investment firm Marcy Venture Partners (MVP), co-founded by Shawn Carter (JAY-Z), Jay Brown, and Larry Marcus.

Acting as an entry point into the metaverse, LNQ will further enhance users' experiences in Web3 and foster connectivity through the intersection of technology, sustainability, culture, and fashion. sLABS unveiled the product via live stream and in-person at the official launch event hosted at NeueHouse in Los Angeles alongside its official partners, including colour authority Pantone, music streaming service Tidal, sustainable footwear company ALES GREY, web3 platform Polygon, and several other brands committed to exploring the metaverse and web3 ecosystem.

“We recognized a gap in the Web3 industry and took this as an opportunity to develop hardware that would equip users and creatives with the tools they need to create, engage, and share with their communities while bridging the physical and digital worlds like never before," said Iddris Sandu, Founder of sLABS and LNQ. “There are no words to describe how truly proud we are of the LNQ Enabled Hardware we’ve created and are excited for both our community and users to experience this world with us and our partners."

The partnership between sLABS and Pantone spans digital and physical integrations and kicked-off at the Los Angeles launch event on May 21st with an interactive activation from Pantone and an address from Elley Cheng, General Manager and Vice President of Pantone. Additionally, Pantone’s SkinTone Guide will be included in the LNQ application for users to develop their metaverse characters, known as Auras. Pantone and sLABS will also be collaborating on a limited-edition clothing release, with more details to be announced at a later date.

Supplementary to these integrations, Pantone also collaborated with sLABS to formulate a collection of six colours that reflected the brand's distinct identity. Rooted in connectivity and inspired by nature and biomimicry, the collection comprises a cosmic blue (PANTONE 2728 C), playful pink coral (PANTONE 709 C), faded lilac (PANTONE 2107 C), grounding burnt orange (PANTONE 17-1449), dramatic charcoal black (PANTONE 19-4104), and a quiet creamy beige (PANTONE 13-0400). Together, the colours which evoke feelings of optimism, comfort, and confidence set a strong foundation as we continue to look to and design for the future.

"Ultimately, the goal was to curate a selection of colours that could serve as physical touchpoints in a virtual world; colours that could live comfortably in a commercial fashion environment while still retaining a curated element and approach. Finding colours whose universal appeal could work and blur across gender norms and rules was critical, as was the desire for these colours to display a timeless and ageless quality,” said Laurie Pressman, Vice President of Pantone Color Institute.

The partnership is yet another extension of Pantone’s exploration of color across physical and digital properties like the metaverse. Pantone’s most recent exploration into the metaverse includes projects with multidisciplinary artist Polygon1993, involving the release of nine unique NFTs inspired by Color of the Year, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri. Additionally, Pantone has restructured some of its products to enhance the design communities' workflow, including the launch of Pantone Connect, which officially launched in September 2021 and helps designers seamlessly work within this new hybrid environment.

"As we continue to explore the interoperability of physical and digital design within our products and services, it is important for us to work with partners who can provide real-world examples of how this digital future could be applied in practical ways. We are excited to partner with sLABS and leverage our products and solutions to further our mission to help the changing needs and workflow of our design community," said Elley Cheng, General Manager and Vice President of Pantone. “We are just at the beginning of this exploration, and we look forward to what will be a long-term partnership with sLABS and our future in colour accuracy and design solutions across all different mediums.” 

Pantone

sLABS