Color Watch-History Lesson September 1, 2007
Bebe is touting a new color called New Bouganvillea. It is a strange name for a color, not as catching or easy to say as Moss or Stone, although Bebe’s consumers might be better suited for New Bouganvillea. It is a little more exotic, a little more difficult to say, etc. After doing a little research, it turns out it is, in fact, a real word.
“Any of several South American woody shrubs or vines of the genus Bougainvillea having groups of three petal like, showy, variously colored bracts attached to the flowers.” Interesting fact and continuing on, it is discovered that the woody vine is named after French navigator Louis Bougainville. In addition, Bougainville wrote a piece called /Description d’un voyage autour du monde/, translated meaning A Description of a Voyage Around the World. This piece would later inspire the popularization of Rousseau’s theories on the morality of humanity in its natural state and a defense of sexual freedom written by Diderot. That being said, New Bouganvillea is a great choice for a color name. And who can go back to the mundane Moss or the simple Stone now?
Leave a Reply