Fresh Choices BY KATIE VINCENT


PALETTE CLEANSE > It’s time for a clean slate. That’s the message the Pantone Color Institute delivered in December when announcing Cloud Dancer (Pantone 11-4201) as the company’s 2026 Color of the Year. “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, Pantone’s executive director. “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.” The selection, announced Thursday, Dec. 4, reflects months of


research into color influences, including fashion, art, technology, the entertainment industry, and popular travel destinations, as well as cultural stimuli, such as new lifestyles, political events and socioeconomic conditions. Many florists, anticipating a vibrant or moody shade, scoffed at the


“boring” choice on social media. Others, though, saw sophistication and limitless possibility. Natalie Blooms, owner of the eponymous Southern California event company, joked on Instagram that she was “the lone person” who loved


TWEEDIA DVFlora


SCABIOSA DVFlora


‘ICEBERG’ CLONI RANUNCULUS Equiflor


‘ANTARCTICA’ HYACINTH Oregon Flowers


16 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | Mar/Apr 2026 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


ANEMONE DVFlora


BETSY HANSEN


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