Le Creuset and Pantone Celebrate 100 Years of the Iconic Flame Colorway

Some colors come and go with the passing years—others stand the test of time, even becoming synonymous with a brand. Le Creuset's Flame falls soundly into the latter category.

The fire engine red has shone bright in kitchens for years, and in 2025, it celebrates its 100th anniversary. Naturally, the brand is celebrating by coming together with another revered name in the world of color: Pantone. Today, the two are codifying Flame and its sparkly cousin, Flamme Dorée, into the Pantone color library.

What makes Flame so worthy of this moment? In truth, the story began all those years ago, when the color was first being conceived. The "internal urban legend," according to Christopher Scinto, the brand's chief marketing officer, is that the hue was inspired by the process of making cast iron. Early in the manufacturing process, when metals are melted together in a giant pot, they resemble bright orange lava—a striking image that eventually became Flame.

Over the years, Dutch ovens and lasagna dishes cast in Flame have become accent pieces of sorts. These objects are functional first and foremost, but Flame is also a color that was never afraid to be bold and make a statement. "It's become a throw pillow for a kitchen," says Scinto. "It just becomes a punctuation mark."

In recent years, many other brands have explored color in kitchen appliances and dishes, but none can claim the legacy of Flame. "It's more than a color—it really is an emotional touchstone for so many people," says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. "To me, it’s joy in a kitchen."

Ultimately, what has made the color endure is its ability to set this mood and quietly transform any space it's in, whether you're using it to prepare dinner or if it's just left out on an open shelf. "Both Pantone and Le Creuset celebrate color and its ability to convey emotion, and to shape experiences," adds Pressman. "And there's a nostalgia [to Flame] that I think is really lovely."