Pantone probably expected their newly selected color to inspire Pinterest mood boards. But instead, after the company unveiled Cloud Dancer (a shade of white) as the 2026 Color of the Year, social media users and fashion publications reacted far less calmly. Pantone, meanwhile, called it a symbol of “calming influence in a frenetic society.”
Their idea, they said, was that by 2026, people will already feel overstimulated and overloaded with planning. A blank canvas could help us reset, right? But many critics accused Pantone of completely missing the political moment around color.
Pantone’s executive director, Leatrice Eiseman, described Cloud Dancer as a “conscious statement of simplification” in a press release. The company continued to insist that their choice was meant to cut through the “cacophony.” Yet the announcement—inviting viewers to “restore inner balance”—sparked a backlash from those who felt the selection was out of touch even in 2025.
Color of The Year 2026 :
𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝟭𝟭-𝟰𝟮𝟬𝟭 𝗧𝗖𝗫
𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 ☁️🌁 pic.twitter.com/91nDGpaL4D
— 𝗺𝗲𝗼𝘄🎀☁️˚ ༘⋆ (@justmpx) December 6, 2025
“Design and art have always been political,” one person wrote on social media. Another posted, “Choosing the color white during this social and political climate really says something.” For some, elevating a shade of white was impossible to separate from the current political moment. A fabric shop owner, Matthew Boudreaux, said Pantone’s pick felt “painfully tone-deaf,” pointing to the resurgence of white nationalism and the rollback of diversity efforts. “Color choices don’t exist in a vacuum.”
Publications weighed in as well. Vanity Fair joked that the announcement felt like satire. The Guardian dubbed Pantone “Pantonedeaf.” The Washington Post noted that in a year when white nationalism dominated headlines, the choice “might raise some eyebrows.” Meanwhile, a Pantone spokesperson told the Washington Post that skin color had “nothing to do with it” and that the company was surprised people were linking Cloud Dancer to racism at all. In their view, the world wanted serenity.
This backlash cycle mirrors the recent controversy over the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad. In that case as well, critics claimed “whiteness” was being glorified, while defenders rolled their eyes. Pantone now finds itself in the same tug-of-war. Are brands genuinely out of touch? Even a New York Times discussion noted that white carries too many cultural associations to function as a true “blank slate,” though its meaning depends on who’s holding the paintbrush.
Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign is receiving criticism for a “jeans/genes” pun that some say echoes eugenics and white supremacy rhetoric.
Right-wing voices are celebrating the ad as a pushback against “wokeness.” pic.twitter.com/Q6LkOoAqbi
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 29, 2025
The Times also pointed out that Pantone is rarely wrong when it comes to predicting color trends. Mocha Mousse was everywhere in 2025, and that only proves the point. Minimalism is creeping back into fashion, and the Winter Olympics look for Team U.S.A. (which was also fairly white) suggests the industry is already shifting when it comes to choosing colors.
Do you agree with Pantone saying the world needs a soft reset?
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