The gal: Roseanna Roberts
The gig: Director of Color Trends at The Color Association of the United States

Prep School: “After I graduated from high school, I did a diploma in fashion merchandising. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do after I graduated from that program. I ended up traveling around the world with one of my best friends, who was an aesthetician at the time. We went to Turkey, India, Australia...too many countries to name.

After traveling, I was really inspired by all the colorful cultures we had seen. I found a program in Toronto where I studied Fashion Communications, and there was a professor there involved with color forecasting who was kind of legendary. From the time I heard about it, I made it my goal to get into that industry. Then, I did an internship with Global Color Research in London, as well as a couple of internships with ESP Trend Lab.”

The Nitty Gritty: “We forecast two years in advance. People always ask me how it’s possible to know what’s going to happen that far in advance. The answer is, we try to look at as many stable factors as we can. What does it look like in 2014? Is it an election year? An Olympic year? We often see what types of exhibitions are going on in the art world, and to movies as well. That’s a good indication of what the world will look like.

"For spring/summer '12, I was a big advocate for bright, shocking pink — fuchsia. With fashion focusing heavily on neons and the Prada/Schiaperelli exhibit going on at the Met (Elsa Schiaperelli's signature color was "Shocking Pink") in New York City, this color seemed like the perfect fit —especially for the lip. One of my clients, Ilia Beauty, introduced Neon Angel [a fuchsia lipstick] for the season. It has done extremely well and has been featured in many beauty publications.”

Pretty Perks: “I like the diversity of the job. I like being able to get out and research trends and see what different people are doing. So, I’m starting to travel more. It’s interesting to go to different cities to visit trade shows and see what’s going on in the street and on the runway — what kind of exhibitions are going on. It’s important to know what’s happening with design in general.”

Secret to Success: “Keep your eyes wide open. Every environment you’re in is an opportunity to be inspired by color. I find a lot of color inspiration based on photographs I’ve taken. Also, having some sort of graphic background is nice, so you can lay out the photographs you’ve taken.”

Illustration by Naomi Abel