Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year Controversy

When 'Cloud Dancer' was announced last week, I canceled everything to record this episode. Because like many of us, I simply could not wrap my head around how Pantone looked at the world and said: "You know what we need? More white."

So let's get into it!

In this episode, we're exploring:

• The hidden history behind Pantone's Color of the Year (spoiler: it has to do with The Devil Wears Prada)
• Who actually makes these decisions (and who gets put on stage to defend them)
• What color psychology actually says about white (hint: it's complicated)
• The rage-bait question: Did Pantone choose controversy on purpose?
• What the Pinterest trend report reveals about what we actually need right now
• Another take on the 'colour of the year' that I gotta admit, I like a lot better!
• My friend Natalie MacNeil's hot take on the colour of the year from an astrological perspective (this is what shifted my view)

This isn't just about one color choice. It's about who gets to define what the world needs.

It's about retreat versus revolution.. and it's about whether we're brave enough to choose colour in a world that's been training us toward grey for 400 years (more on that next week!)

• Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year: https://www.pantone.com/uk/en/color-of-the-year/2026
• Pantone's Color Institute: https://www.pantone.com/eu/en/color-consulting/about-pantone-color-institute
• WGSN Trend Report on 2026 consumer behavior: https://www.wgsn.com/en/blog/colour-year-2026-transformative-teal
• Etsy's 2026 Colour of the Year: https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/color/a69676808/etsy-2026-color-of-the-year-patina-blue/
• Natalie MacNeil: https://nataliemacneil.com/
• Pinterest Predicts Trend Report: https://newsroom.pinterest.com/en-gb/news/pinterest-predicts-nonconformity-self-preservation-and-escapism-drive-21-trends-for-2026/
• CNET video featuring Sky Kelly: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EzYv2yxweGg

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