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Image: Pantone
For the first time in its 25-year history, Pantone has named a shade of white, Cloud Dancer (PANTONE 11-4201), as its Colour of the Year.
Far from a default or “play-it-safe” choice, Cloud Dancer arrives at a fraught cultural moment when maximalism and loud visuals are resurging.
Instead, it offers something different: a soft, natural white described by the Pantone Colour Institute as a “blank canvas,” a “whisper of calm in a noisy world.”
In an era saturated with information, fast trends, and visual noise, Pantone argues that Cloud Dancer reflects a collective yearning for clarity, reset, and inner calm.
Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman frames the choice not as defaulting to white, but as offering new avenues and ways of thinking, according to The Washington Post.
As Pantone’s Vice President Laurie Pressman explains, the hue isn’t meant to signal purity or political meaning, even though some observers have raised sensitive questions given white’s symbolic history.
Instead, this white is intentionally soft, balanced between warm and cool tones, flexible enough to work with vivid hues or other neutrals alike.
Cloud Dancer isn’t just a colour, it’s an invitation. As a neutral foundation, it offers a clean backdrop for bold colours, textures, and creative experimentation. Whether for interiors, fashion, product design, or branding, this soft white can anchor dramatic contrasts or subtle palettes alike.
It also underscores how colour trends can mirror broader societal moods: after years of comfort-driven, earth-toned picks (like 2025’s “Mocha Mousse,” 2024’s “Peach Fuzz,” and 2023’s vibrant “Viva Magenta”), Cloud Dancer signals a move toward introspection, mental rest, and creative renewal.