The color white is Pantone’s official Color of the Year — though not just any white. It’s officially called “Cloud Dancer” (not to be confused with the 1980 David Carradine film about a flying-circus pilot), and is described by Pantone as “a lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection.”
The company, which annually releases its color of the year, went on to say that PATONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is “a billowy white imbued with a feeling of serenity, adding that it “serves as a symbol of calming influence in a frenetic society rediscovering the value of measured consideration and quiet reflection.”
Not quite the David Carradine version, but Pantone makes a compelling case.
Pantone, which describes itself as “the global color authority and provider of professional color language standards and digital solutions for the design community,” says PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer carries an “aerated presence” that “acts as a whisper of calm and peace in a noisy world.”
Similar to a blank canvas, Cloud Dancer signifies our desire for a fresh start. Peeling away layers of outmoded thinking, we open the door to new approaches.
It marks the first time the company has selected a white shade since launching its Color of the Year designation in 1999.
According to Pantone, the annual choice is made by a team of experts and is intended to “draw attention to the relationship between culture and color.”
“At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.
“The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences.”
“We are living in a transitional time where people are seeking truth, possibility, and a new way of living,” added Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.
“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.”
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