On Dec. 4, 2025, Pantone announced the Color of the Year for 2026: Cloud Dancer, a soft white inspired by the wispy arrangements of clouds. Pantone creates color standards that identify and match colors — their color guides are used in interior and graphic design, fashion and paint to ensure color consistency. In effect, Pantone is responsible for a universal language of color and, every year, they select a Color of the Year that best reflects global moods and attitudes as well as the trends of the year. With each Color of the Year, major magazines like Vogue and Architectural Design, and companies like Adobe, release guides on how to incorporate the color into the respective fields of fashion, interior design and graphic design. Nonprofessionals also share their opinions through social media platforms. This year, popular social media hashtags included #CloudDancer, #Pantone2026, #PantoneColorOfTheYear and #clouddancer2026.

Throughout the year, Pantone encourages individuals to utilize their own interpretation of the color to find inspiration and overcome challenges in daily life. This year, amidst global chaos and overstimulation from modern technology, Cloud Dancer symbolizes a moment of clarity and simplicity. It feels like a breath of fresh air, allowing for new beginnings through any facet of life. By stripping away color and returning to a blank canvas, the softly lit hues of white offer both rest and inspiration. 

Each year, Pantone’s Color of the Year sparks some sort of controversy; they intend to trigger global discussions about color. However, in recent years and especially with this year’s selection, criticism of Pantone’s Color of the Year has skyrocketed. 

Pathfinder has covered the previous Colors of the Year from 2024’s Peach Fuzz to 2025’s Mocha Mousse. These newer colors, along with this year’s Cloud Dancer, reflect a shift in Pantone’s selections from bold, vibrant hues like 2022’s Very Peri and 2023’s Viva Magenta to toned-down, “neutral” shades. Some critics find these choices boring and have expressed their desire for bright colors to bring a sense of vibrance for the coming year. Others believe colors could be interpreted in ways that reference skin tones, which may be insensitive given the global issue of racism. Despite the controversies, last year’s selection of Mocha Mousse ended up being a hit, sparking makeup, hair and fashion trends. This year, Pantone must answer for Cloud Dancer; will it be another hit, or does it miss the mark?

Industry response: #Boring

In a world of ever-changing trends, the Color of the Year heavily impacts the ebb and flow of fashion, beauty and art. In some instances, as in the case of Mocha Mousse, the Color of the Year even sparks brand new trends. Under this context, many professionals pay close attention to the Color of the Year, which can influence their industries. 

This year, artists have a problem with Cloud Dancer because in the world of art, white is not considered a color, but a reflection of all colors. White and black are absent from the traditional color wheel and are often used along with other colors to add depth to a piece of artwork.

“As someone who does a lot of art, white is not usually used on its own. It’s usually used to enhance other colors. It’s almost a lack of color, and it really shouldn’t be [recognized as] the Color of the Year,” senior Keira Lang said.

Artists weren’t the only ones who criticized Pantone’s choice. Before the unveiling of Cloud Dancer, many interior designers were expecting a more earthy or green color as per recent trends of rich reds, blues and greens inspired by nature. Similarly, in fashion, the runway saw the emergence of “Cool Blue”, which is predicted to dominate fashion trends in 2026. With Pantone’s unveiling of Cloud Dancer, both the design and fashion worlds were shocked.

Yet, many acknowledge that white is a classic color both in fashion and interior design, remaining a staple through the decades. In interior design, white can create contrast with other colors and features of a home, allowing aspects to stand out. For fashion, it’s hard to argue that white is irrelevant when a classic white shirt is considered one of the most essential staples in wardrobes. In fact, white is one of the most common colors in fashion.

As with the previous Colors of the Year, the impact of Cloud Dancer on society will only be clear as the year unfolds.

The Controversy: “Pantonedeaf?”

Aside from trends, the Color of the Year’s main purpose is to represent current attitudes, beliefs and issues of society. Conversations surrounding Cloud Dancer and any Color of the Year are meant to be divisive, but not racist. Critics have recently noted that Cloud Dancer, as the forefront of trends and society, could be pushing a cultural agenda and promoting a racial divide. Its clear white hue may suppress inclusivity and true representation. Considering our nation’s tumultuous political state and the rise of white nationalism in America, some critics have attacked Pantone’s choice as “tone-deaf” — a term used to describe a lack of awareness or insensitivity to social situations. 

America itself is going through a “color politics” crisis with ICE raids, DEI program cuts and President Trump banning words like “people of color” and “race” from government websites and documents. The color white was also used in the white supremacist movement “White Lives Matter” as a racist response to “Black Lives Matter.” “14 Words,” the most prominent white supremacist slogan, directly highlights white supremacy with the phrase, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”

“I don’t really know politically where [Pantone] lies, but it does seem unprofessional and immature to [pick white] at such a controversial time where society is more divided than ever, especially based on race. I can’t tell you if [implying race] was their intention or not, but they probably should have chosen a color that would have given off more positivity for the new year,” Lang said.

On the other hand, some individuals, exhausted by the constant political division, believe that the current political state of the US is the very reason that a neutral color is necessary: to calm tensions. Cloud Dancer, which is not just a stark or sterile white, contains the softness the world needs right now.

“At this point [in my life], it feels like we have the most division: you’re either way on the left or on the [far] right,” art teacher Kristi Ponder said. “It’s constantly this black or white, right or wrong mentality, and not a lot of people live in the middle ground. With the muted colors, it could be an attempt to calm people down a little bit. I talk a lot about how I live in the gray. Nothing, I believe, is either black or white, or right or wrong. I’m always somewhere in the middle, and to me, that is the place where you can hear both sides and consider both of them as valid.”

In response to the controversy, Pantone issued a statement, stating, “Pantone does not assign political narratives to colour; to select or avoid a hue on that basis would give such narratives a significance they do not hold in this process.”

This suggests that Pantone sees the selection of Cloud Dancer as an artistic and cultural decision rather than a political one. However, even if Pantone did not intend for the color to carry social or racial implications, its release in a time of heightened cultural sensitivity means the conversation around it is unavoidable.

The open skies ahead

Cloud Dancer isn’t the first color to face massive criticism. For two years, Pantone’s Color of the Year picks — Peach Fuzz and Mocha Mousse — have received the same backlash for the direct association with human skin tones. Choosing colors tied to race can unintentionally highlight issues of representation, inclusivity and cultural sensitivity, especially in a socially and politically charged climate. Racism isn’t the only controversy, as last year, Mocha Mousse, the first neutral Color of the Year, was mocked for being “too boring” in the same way Cloud Dancer is right now. 

When the 2024 Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz, faced backlash, art teacher Ashley Drissell took the stance that color is what you make it to be. Perhaps that’s the same approach the world should maintain to the Color of the Year: an open mind and a willingness to create a new interpretation. 

“I can see how people might associate [Cloud Dancer with controversy], but I’m going to choose to not make it about that. I’m going to try not to attach too much of a deeper meaning to [the color]. Color is what you make it to be,” Drissell said.