Americas
Mexico Color Palette
Frida pink, cobalt blue, and marigold — the palette of Mexican modernism and Día de los Muertos.
Mexican color culture moves from pre-Columbian cochineal red (the dye that funded the Spanish empire) through colonial talavera tile blues to the saturated revolutionary palette of Frida Kahlo, Luis Barragán, and the muralists. The pink-cobalt-marigold-skull combination of Día de los Muertos is one of the most-imitated festival palettes in global design. Barragán's pink walls (Casa Gilardi, Cuadra San Cristóbal) are studied in every contemporary architecture program.
The palette
Mexican Pink (rosa mexicano)
≈Blush Core PureAniline-derived 'rosa mexicano' textile dye
Talavera Blue
≈Cobalt Velvet VividTalavera Poblana tin-glazed pottery
Marigold (cempasúchil)
≈Coral Radiant PureTagetes erecta — Day of the Dead flower
Cochineal Red
≈Merlot Velvet ClearDactylopius coccus insect dye
Pulque Cream
≈Apricot Mist VividFermented agave drink
Barragán Earth Pink
≈Crimson Silk VividCasa Gilardi, Mexico City (1976)
Volcanic Black
≈Crimson Ink MutedObsidian + Popocatépetl basalt
Suits
Festival brandingHospitality color schemesLatin-American consumer packagingEditorial illustration
Copy as CSS
:root {
--mexican-pink-rosa-mexicano: #e4007c;
--talavera-blue: #2a52be;
--marigold-cempas-chil: #ff8a1e;
--cochineal-red: #a33340;
--pulque-cream: #f4ebd0;
--barrag-n-earth-pink: #d77176;
--volcanic-black: #1f1a17;
}