Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Pantone Names 'Cloud Dancer' as 2026 Color of the Year, Its First White Choice

The soft white tone is pitched as a calming reset within a landscape split between clean neutrals versus dopamine brights.

Overview

  • Pantone describes Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer as an elegant white intended to evoke serenity and quiet reflection.
  • The selection is the program’s first white pick since the Color of the Year tradition began in 1999.
  • Early commercial uptake includes a Motorola Edge smartphone finished in Cloud Dancer, with additional brand tie-ins highlighted by consumer labels.
  • Reception is divided, with some praising a minimalist, less‑is‑more aesthetic and others calling the choice timid or unremarkable, including Vogue’s assessment that it makes no waves.
  • Coverage places the pick within the ongoing Clean Chic trend of pale neutrals and soft textures, even as many consumers embrace bright, maximalist palettes.