Since its announcement, I've been thinking a lot about the Pantone color of the year. Not just because it happens to be the debate of the week for online discourse (and justifiably so, as I agree with most of the disappointed sentiments shared), but also because the color is just...fine.
On the surface, "Cloud Dancer" sounds like an ethereal and calming shade that should sound be inviting and even inspiring. "A lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection," is how Pantone describes it. But at a time when everything is trending to be more conservative and starting to look the same, choosing white as the color of 2026 makes me want to rebel and live in as much bold and dark colors as possible.
