(October 8, 2014) ATLANTA — Color and materials designers at The Lincoln Motor Company find inspiration nearly everywhere. Vibrant colors and sensual textures influence a car designer’s daily work. They turn to the world of fashion to guide those elements for Lincoln vehicles.

Jenny Kubinec, Lincoln color and materials designer, said fashion offered a trove of inspiring ideas as she worked on the 2015 Lincoln MKC, Lincoln’s first-ever small premium utility.

“Seeing something as simple as elaborate stitching on a handbag or an accent color on a designer jacket can really impact our design strategy,” Kubinec said.

In her role, Kubinec is creating color and materials combinations that transcend gender. It was a chief objective when designing the MKC, as evidenced in the Reserve package design. The Bridge of Weir Deepsoft leather seats are White Sands, a soft, cream color with a feminine appeal. In contrast, the Espresso-colored instrument panel and dark wood appliqués have a more masculine quality.

Lincoln designers begin assessing possible color choices about three years ahead of when the offering will be available. In addition to popular colors such as black, white, red and silver, Lincoln makes it a point to offer a selection of trend colors to appeal to more expressive customers.

On the MKC, one expressive color choice is Tahitian Pearl, a deep plum color with an iridescent finish.

“With the MKC targeting a younger, savvy customer, we wanted to offer a trend color that was a little more daring and adventurous,” said Janet Seymour, Lincoln color and materials design manager.  “It’s a bold, dramatic color that sets Lincoln apart.”

The MKC is also available in Midnight Sapphire and Smoked Quartz, two selections from the cool end of the spectrum, which is expected to be hot in the coming months. Pantone, the global authority on color, cited Classic Blue on its spring 2015 fashion color report.

Pantone also named Radiant Orchid Color of the Year for 2014 ahead of fashion trends embracing purple.

The 2015 Lincoln MKC is produced at Louisville Assembly Plant in Louisville, Kentucky. Vehicles are available in Lincoln showrooms now.