Punk Rock Unicorn is one of our fabulous dyers for this year’s MKAL: Color Kaleidoscope, bringing their iconic punchy, electric approach to colour.
“With all the colours in the world, how are you supposed to choose? I love palettes made from differences: contrasts that keep things exciting, balanced by calmer colours that give everything some space to breathe.”
For Dea, the fun is in making a choice that will surprise you. “The MKAL is a good chance to go out of your comfort zone and just pick something you would usually not go for. You might be surprised how many more colours you can fall in love with!”
That instinct, to follow what catches your eye, comes through in her colour advice.
“Pick colours that speak to you, no matter whether they are supposedly ‘your’ colours. Listen to your heart – if it skips a little beat, that’s the one!”
Dea often starts with the most unusual colour in the group, building the rest of the palette around it. And when she wants to check the balance, she has one very simple trick:
“Take a photo of your colours and turn it into black and white. It makes it much easier to see whether you have enough contrast and variation.”
But there’s more to a great colour clash than simply throwing colours together. “For me, contrast works best when the colours still feel connected somehow.” From there, one colour can lead you somewhere unexpected: orange to violet, violet to pink and blue, then another contrast, perhaps orange if things start getting too harmonious.
There’s something very Punk Rock Unicorn about that approach. Start with one colour you can’t resist, follow it somewhere unexpected, and don’t be afraid to push it a little further.
One colour leads to another, contrasts keep shifting, and suddenly the whole palette has taken shape. Sounds pretty kaleidoscopic to us!
