Pantone Announced its 2026 Color of the Year!

Pantone Color Institute, the global color authority, has chosen CLOUD DANCER, Pantone 11-4201, as its 2026 color of the year, the first time white has been chosen since it began naming a color of the year back in 1999. 

According to TIME Magazine, "This year’s pick is meant to represent serenity and tranquility, which Pantone says is ever in need in a frenetic society. Cloud dancer calls back to the need for human connection."

According to NPR, "Each year, Pantone selects a shade it projects will represent and define the year ahead — a prediction of the upcoming year's global mood and culture. The chosen color sits at the forefront of Pantone's brand identity for the year, appearing in everything from commercials and Pantone-branded merchandise to external brand and artist collaborations."

Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone's Executive Director, explained, "Cloud Dancer represents a “calming influence in a frenetic society, rediscovering the value of measured consideration and quiet reflection. The color is associated with new beginnings and signifies our desire for a fresh start. While different shades of white have long been ubiquitous in fashion, Cloud Dancer specifically embodies billowing silhouettes and natural fabrics like feathers."

According to Laurie Pressman, Pantone's Vice President, "Every year since 1999, the program has sought to highlight how what is taking place in our macro-culture at a moment in time is expressed through the language of color. To choose a color of the year, (we) sift through current cultural, political, and style references, settle on a color family and then focus on the precise shade — paying close attention to its name, too. The color name is critical. The minute you hear a name describing color, you instantly conjure up an image. The goal of the program is to help companies and consumers better understand the power color can have."

During 2026, Cloud Dancer and its Pantone trademark will appear on a myriad of brands including: Motorola smartphones; Post-it Notes; Joybird furniture; Mandarin Oriental tea sets, spa treatments, and luxurious stays high up in the clouds; Pura fragrances; Command hanging wall hooks; and Play-doh. The reason for the Post-It Notes is that, according to Pantone, they "have long been the canvas for ideas, big and small. Cloud Dancer is the centerpiece of the new Neutrality Collection, available in spring 2026, and (by blending calm and clarity, it creates) a grounded canvas for daydreams big and small."

On a humorous note, David's Bridals, the bridal gown brand, shared on its Instagram account, "Seems to us Pantone is in their bridal era."

What do you think Pantone's 2027 color of the year will be? Here's a hint: Keep up with 2026's news with marketing-tinted glasses for clues!

SHARE THIS: The goal of Pantone's Color of the Year choice is to help companies and consumers better understand the power color can have. ~Laurie Pressman, VP of @Pantone #PantoneColoroftheYear #BrandIdentity #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Image Credits: Pantone.