Pantone has described its Colour of the Year for 2026, Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, as “a billowy, balanced white imbued with a feeling of serenity”. “Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is an airy white hue that exemplifies our search for balance between our digital future and our primal need for human connection, a liminal space that is a launchpad for creative expression, as individuals and communities are experimenting beyond traditional boundaries, opening the door to increased imagination and innovation.” The Pantone Colour of the Year programme was first introduced by the Pantone Color Institute in 1999. Pantone was founded as a small printing company and acquired in 1962 by Lawrence Herbert, Pantone has evolved into a global benchmark not only for colour classification but also for the creation of trends that cut across every language of design, from interiors to fast fashion.