Pantone’s Colour of The Year 2026: Cloud Dancer - and Our Top 3 Eyewear Picks
Photo Credit: Pantone
Who are Pantone?
Pantone is the world’s leading authority on colour. The company created the Pantone Matching System, a universal colour language that allows designers, printers, and manufacturers to accurately identify and reproduce specific colours anywhere in the world.
By assigning unique codes to each shade, Pantone ensures colour consistency across industries such as fashion, product design, branding, and print. The company is also famous for its annual “Colour of the Year,” which often influences global design and fashion trends.
How do Pantone select their “Colour of the Year”?
The Pantone Colour Institute is a specialised team within Pantone that engage the design community and colour enthusiasts around the world in a conversation around colour. This team of global colour experts forecast trends, research colour psychology, and advise brands on colour strategy. They consider the overall mood and socio-economic factors of the world, including social media, technology, as well as economic conditions and will analyse new influences in entertainment (film, art, exhibition), fashion design, aspirational travel destinations, new lifestyles, and even upcoming sporting events.
The Institute debate and analyse these factors through “secret meetings” to select a colour that reflects the current zeitgeist. These meetings typically take place over a few days somewhere in Europe at an undisclosed location with representatives from various countries. The whole process includes year-round research, with the final decision usually being made around 9-12 months prior to announcement - which happens in December.
Introducing Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2026: Cloud Dancer
Photo Credit: Pantone
At the end of 2026, Pantone announced Cloud Dancer as their Colour of the Year - a lofty, luminous white that symbolises calm and clarity in a world increasingly drawn to quiet reflection. Soft and billowing in tone, this understated shade offers a gentle sense of tranquillity and peace amid the noise of modern life.
Acting as a blank canvas for new beginnings, Cloud Dancer invites creativity to breathe. Its subtle off-white warmth evokes serenity and encourages a sense of focus and restoration, creating space for thoughtful design and innovation.
Highly versatile, Cloud Dancer provides the foundation of the colour spectrum - a refined backdrop that allows other colours to truly shine. Its understated elegance echoes the sensibilities of Scandinavian design and the growing movement toward quiet luxury, where texture, natural materials, and the interplay of light take centre stage.
Our Top 3 Eyewear Picks in Cloud Dancer
We’ve short-listed our top 3 picks in white inspired by Cloud Dancer. Here they are, in no particular order!
Roger Eye Design “Andreas”
A lightweight aviator with a modern edge. The bold silhouette is balanced by refined outline and negative-space detailing, giving the frame a distinctive look. In crisp white, every element pops - making it an effortless way to elevate any outfit.
MATTTEW “Hertz”
A personal favourite of Erin’s and a staple in her own eyewear wardrobe, this frame proves that a neutral never has to be boring. Designed by MATTTEW, its edgy angled shape is complemented by a bright white accent along the top and contrasted with fine black etched lines that run horizontally across the upper half and vertically along the lower portion to create an interesting look.
Roger Eye Design “Cartoon TapToe”
Part of Roger’s “Cartoon” series, this frame brings a playful pop-art energy full of personality. A bold, thick-cut white top section, fully outlined in black, creates a striking statement piece that’s perfect for those with a creative sense of style and who aren’t afraid to stand out.
Ready to find your perfect pair?
If you’d love to try on these wonderful white frames, or are just looking to find your next perfect pair in general, you can book your complementary Bespoke Eyewear Style + Colour Analysis Consultation here.