When I sat down to meet virtually with the Pantone Color Institute to discuss their Color of the Year 2026, I was definitely expecting something different—after all, the last few years have been a collection of splashy hues, so I knew next year’s winning pick needed to upstage them. However, I was not expecting to be this shocked by their choice. For the Color of the Year 2026, Pantone selected 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, a hue Pantone describes in their press release as “billowy, balanced” and “ethereal.”

Essentially, they chose white, which I found surprising, because many people wouldn’t even register it as a color. (More on this controversial take later!) It is also a huge departure from last year's pick ( Mocha Mousse ) and contradicts the many other pigment-rich color forecasts we’ve

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