Pantone knows Barbiecore pink was a huge color the past few months. Here's why they chose Viva Magenta as the 2023 color of the year instead.

Pantone 's 2023 color of the year isn't Barbiecore pink – though the color institute knows well how hot pink has taken over the color-sphere over the past several months.

How did pink become such a cultural flashpoint? As the world takes a revitalized interest in the hot-pink planet inhabited by Barbie, here’s a short history of the compelling color.