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Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year: Cloud Dancer's Controversy

12/20/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Pantone Color Institute named Cloud Dancer, a white shade, Colour of the Year for 2026.
It is the first time white has received this designation, a move critics call tone-deaf.
Interior designers warn the color evokes clinical vibes rather than warmth.
Some see Cloud Dancer as adaptable and elegant.
Others worry it could reinforce exclusionary ideals amid debates on race and representation.

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Story summary

Pantone Color Institute named Cloud Dancer, a white shade, Colour of the Year for 2026.
It is the first time white has received this designation, a move critics call tone-deaf.
Interior designers warn the color evokes clinical vibes rather than warmth.
Some see Cloud Dancer as adaptable and elegant.
Others worry it could reinforce exclusionary ideals amid debates on race and representation.