The American Pantone Color Institute, according to the annual tradition, has declared the color of 2026 a shade of white called "Cloud Dancer" (PANTONE 11-4201). The Pantone Color Institute describes this shade as "sublime white, serving as a symbol of a calming trend in society."

The choice came as a surprise to many, as bright and saturated colors have prevailed in recent years. Such a neutral shade rarely wins.

The Institute of Color is a research division of the American company Pantone Inc. He studies color trends, its influence on various spheres of life, and popularizes color classification standards. For the first time in the 26 years of the Pantone Color of the Year program, Pantone has chosen an achromatic shade.

It is important to emphasize that white has many shades, and they are different. So "Cloud Dancer" is a peculiar color. This weightless tone is slightly colder than classic milk, but softer than sterile or pristine white. It has a bit of smoky depth, which makes it more lively and interesting.

Pantone explained this choice by stating that "Cloud Dancer symbolizes the desire to start from scratch." It is a neutral white shade, symbolizing calmness, clarity and a "blank canvas" for a new beginning, helping to cope with the overload of the world, to hear the inner voice. The choice of this shade reflects the desire for respite and simplicity in the age of digital noise, providing an ideal base for creativity and renewal.  Leatrice Eisman, director of the Pantone Color Institute, said about the 2026 color choice: "Cloud Dancer helps us hear the voice of our inner selves and focus, eliminating external distractions." Experts explain this by the philosophy of time. We live in an era of noise, endless notifications, alarms and chaos. Perhaps we no longer need flashy colors, to make ourselves known. We need peace, quiet, and a clean slate.

The shade being announced is not a direct call for specific actions to be used everywhere, but rather becomes an optional guideline.

Pantone is a color institute that has created an extensive visual language system. Its standards are applied in advertising agencies, technology firms, fashion brands, as well as among manufacturers of furniture, cosmetics and cars.

When Pantone announces the color of the year, it almost immediately begins to flash in fashion collections, collaborations, interior solutions, packaging, and even in the picture of the world that social networks build. And it's not that brands blindly follow recommendations. Rather, Pantone knows how to catch the nerve of an era: those shades that become the "color of the year" usually do not arise out of thin air – they grow out of observations of macro trends: from architecture and politics to consumer behaviour and changes in art. According to Pantone experts, this color expresses a desire for a future without frills, and also develops a desire to experience a sense of peace, unity and cohesion.

White color in art is often associated with purity, light, spirituality and the beginning. It can create a sense of spaciousness and infinity, as well as emphasize other colors, making them more vivid and expressive.

The museum Collection exposition features a variety of objects in the main color of 2026, a shade of white called Cloud Dancer.

On the cover and illustration:
Vase with penguins on an ice floe. Emile Gallé manufactory. France, Nancy. 1907-1914
Swan-shaped vase. Gallé Émile manufactory. France, Nancy St Clément. Late 19^th – early 20^th centuries
Fruit vase with musical mechanism. Gounod Charles François (composer), Conchon & Cie. Switzerland, Geneva. Circa 1900