Marigold Yellow
History, Fashion + Interior Design, Branding, Pantone® & More
The perfect shade for August and a radiant nod to Leo season, this week’s bold yellow color is yet another standout summer staple.
Psychology
Psychologically, yellow evokes optimism, assertiveness, and self-assurance. The shade Marigold is cheerful like traditional yellow, but grounded by orange undertones, radiating warmth, confidence, and creative energy.
Brief History
This shade of yellow draws its name from the Marigold flower, a sun-loving bloom that reaches its peak in late summer.
Fun fact, “marigold” is a contraction of “Mary’s Gold”, a devotional reference to the Virgin Mary in medieval Europe. These golden flowers were offered in place of coin and seen as a symbol of reverence.
In India, the marigold is used to create garlands for weddings, temple offerings, and festivals like Diwali, and is also considered a symbol of purity, prosperity, and the sacred cycle of life. Below are some Diwali garlands:
And in Mexico, the bright marigold flower (cempasúchil) is central to Día de los Muertos altars, believed to guide ancestors back home with its vibrant color and distinct scent.
From ritual use to celebratory decor, marigold has long been a color of presence. It’s no surprise it continues to shows up again and again across fashion, interior design, branding, and more, today. Let’s get into it!
Fashion Spotlight
Elie Saab Fall 2025 Couture
In Elie Saab’s gorgeous Fall 2025 Couture collection, our yellow emerges as an anchor of opulence—rich, floral, and luminous against silk. And set against botanicals and soft blush accents, it definitely gives late-summer into fall.
Natan Fall 2025 Couture
In stark contrast to romantic florals, Natan’s Fall 2025 collection presents Marigold Yellow through a lens of urban minimalism. Paired with olive, gray, and structured silhouettes, the color becomes cool and sharp.
Interior Design
Though bold, this yellow is still surprisingly versatile, adapting across a wide range of interior design styles.
In the first example below, you can see a richly layered bedroom. Here, marigold yellow leans luxe and moody with its metallic sheen, and is paired with deep black trim and floral upholstery.
Next, in this rustic-styled living room, the same color feels much less moody and much more grounded. Complemented by raw wood beams, natural textures, and golden light, the yellow creates an earthy atmosphere.
In the final example below, which features a European country kitchen, marigold shifts into something more antique and lived-in. With the still-life paintings, pottery and wood, it channels a timeless, artistic warmth.
Branding
Marigold Yellow proves its versatility in branding as well, showing up across industries from beauty to luxury goods and construction.
Burt’s Bees
The natural personal care brand best known for its beeswax lip balm, evokes warmth and wellness with yellow, strengthening their earth-friendly ethos.
Veuve Clicquot
The champagne house leans into marigold’s celebratory energy, making their brand synonymous with elegance, joy, and champagne toasts, of course.
CAT (Caterpillar)
And CAT turns the yellow color industrial, using it for visibility, durability, and a bold sense of strength on the job site.
Pantone® & More
If you’re interested in working with Marigold Yellow, the best Pantone match I found is “Lemon Chrome”, PANTONE 13-0859 TCX. I also included HEX, RGB, and CMYK details below.
HEX: #FFC72C
RGB: 255, 199, 44
CMYK: 0, 22, 91, 0
As always, thank you so much for reading, and hopefully you learned something new today about this week’s yellow shade. If you enjoyed reading, please give this post a like so I know what you guys want to see more of:)
Or tell me, which color should I feature next? See you next week!