Cloud Dancer: Pantone selects white hue for 2026 Color of the Year

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December 5, 2025 | 11:33am

MANILA, Philippines — Pantone is going white for 2026 as it revealed Cloud Dancer as its newest Color of the Year.

The shade with the code 11-4201 was described by Pantone as "a lofty white neutral whose aerated presence acts as a whisper of calm and peace in a noisy world" that "symbolizes a calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection."

"A billowy white imbued with serenity, it invites true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe," said Pantone. "In motion and in pause, Cloud Dancer drifts between light and ethereal, a living calm that invites renewal, vision in serenity and creative release."

The Color of the Year educational program was created by the Pantone Color Institute before the turn of the millenium in order to engage with the design community and global color enthusiasts, drawing attention to the relationship between culture and color.

Selection for the 2026 color was inspired by what Pantone described as the search for "respite and relief from emotional and physical stimulation by disconnecting and stepping away from the incessant demands of daily life to rejuvenate mentally, physically, and emotionally."

"Bombarded with a cacophany of noise and conflicting messages, we're attempting to remove distractions so we can find clarity and simplicity," said Pantone. "We're looking for fulfillment by opting for a quieter, less fussy life, and serenity for a lightness of being."

This is the first time Pantone has selected a shade of white as the Color of the Year. The 2025 selection was Mocha Mousse, a "mellow brown infused with a sensorial and comforting warmth."

Pantone compared Cloud Dancer to a blank canvas as it signifies people's desire for a fresh start as it "quiets the mind and encourages true relaxation and focus that allows the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation."

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, further described Cloud Dancer as a "discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity" that "enchances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences."

The institute's president Laurie Pressman added that Cloud Dancer "embodies a shift in how we live and design," citing people's search for "belance between our digital future and our primal need for human connection."

Pantone called Cloud Dancer a key structual color with a versatility alloweing scaffolding for the color spectrum. Here are the color palettes Pantone suggested to complement the new Color of the Year:

• Powdered Pastels (Lemon Icing, Nimbus Cloud, Raindrops on Roses, Ice Melt, Peach Dust, Almost Aqua, Orchid Tint)
• Take A Break (Iced Coffee, Mango Mojito, Cocoa Creme, Pink Lemonade, Tea, Papaya, Caramel)
• Atmospheric (Nantucket Breeze, Alaskan Blue, Cosmic Sky, Aqua Gray, Regatta, Rinsing Rivulet, Dusky Citron)
• Comfort Zone (Shifting Sand, Coral Haze, Mountain Trail, Amberlight, Ashes of Roses, Woodrose, Rose Brown)
• Tropic Tonalities (Iris Orchid, Capri, Kiwi Colada, Sunny Lime, Bright Marigold, Paradise Pink, Blazing Yellow)
• Light & Shadow (Veiled Vista, Baltic Sea, Golden Mist, Quiet Violet, Cloud Cover, Hematite, Blue Fusion)
• Glamour & Gleam (Stretch Limo, Scarlet Smile, Bordeaux, Dragonfly, Graphite, Satin Slipper, Micron)

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