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Pantone Picks 'Cloud Dancer' as 2026 Color of the Year, Its First‑Ever White

The institute presents the soft neutral as a calming reset to steer design choices in 2026.

Overview

  • Pantone describes Cloud Dancer (11-4201) as a billowy, balanced white that signals serenity, clarity and a fresh start.
  • Executives Leatrice Eiseman and Laurie Pressman frame the hue as a simplification that helps quiet overstimulation and fosters focus and creativity.
  • The rollout includes an artist program debuting with illustrator Emiliano Ponzi’s limited‑edition tote interpreting the shade.
  • Brand tie‑ins are planned across products, including collaborations with Motorola, Play‑Doh, Post‑it, Joybird, Pura and Mandarin Oriental.
  • Designers expect the versatile neutral to influence fashion, interiors and consumer goods in 2026, while online reactions include criticism and politicized readings of a white pick.