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I don’t know about you, but I love the Spring for many reasons. One reason that really gets me excited is Spring cleaning because I love giving away the things that no longer serve me and refreshing my space with new energy. I also enjoy brightening up my home (and wardrobe) with beautiful pastel shades and colors that invoke feelings of joy and happiness.
Speaking of colors, this year’s Pantone’s Cloud Dancer, which was announced at the beginning of the year, didn’t initially inspire positive feedback. Some called it “uninspired.” Others deemed it “painfully” out of touch. If you know, you know.
Instead of accepting the conventional, Western-centric framing of the color, storyteller and art director Gabrielle Smith went to work using her creativity to explore its deeper resonance and tap into culture to bring about feelings of joy and unity across the diaspora.
Inspired to breathe new life into the simplistic hue, Smith created the following collage:
Smith’s Cloud Dancer post resonated widely, going viral almost instantly. Ahead, learn about the inspiration behind the collage.
Reimagining The Meaning Behind ‘Cloud Dancer’
For the creative mind behind the platform thenublk, an online archive of Black creativity, Pantone’s choice initially sparked curiosity. “My first reaction to Pantone’s choice was intrigue, especially considering the ongoing political climate globally,” Smith shares with BrownStyle Magazine exclusively. “People seemed to respond to the same things I felt when I first saw Pantone’s choice. There was that initial reaction, followed by a desire to view the color through a different cultural lens. My reinterpretation offered a reminder of the deeper meaning the color holds, and that is what I think people connected with.”
With hundreds of comments and retweets, it was clear that many people were excited about the imagery. “I wanted to shift the way we have been taught to see and value whiteness, both as a color and as a power structure, by highlighting the deeper histories it holds,” noting the color has long held meanings of ancestral memory, stillness, connection, peace, and rebirth.
Smith’s reinterpretation of the Pantone selection is deeply visual. The creator notes her Grenadian roots was also a source of inspiration. “I chose images that hold personal cultural meaning for me and that I know resonate across the diaspora. Each reference connects through shared experiences and visual language,” she shares, noting her use of music, fashion, photography, spirituality, and diasporic interiors.
“I hope it reminds people of the Global Majority that our own interpretations of color have always been layered and meaningful. If seeing it through my lens gives people a sense of connection, affirmation, or simply the feeling of being reflected to themselves, then I am glad it has resonated in that way,” she concludes.
How To Wear, Eat, And Live Spring’s Cloud Dancer
Looking to incorporate Cloud Dancer into your everyday life? Look no further. Here are some unique ways our editors are incorporating the popular color into their soft lives.
✨ Fashion
Our editors are incorporating airy whites into their Spring/Summer wardrobe with tailored linen suits, stylish shoes, and pretty purses for a fresh new look. Pair the hue with soft pastels or rich, earthy tones and be an entire vibe at the next family cookout!
✨ Beauty
The beauty lovers on the team are adding soft ivory tones to their routine in the forms of luminous highlighters, creamy eyeshadows, sheer nail polish, and bright white teeth.
✨ Home
There’s nothing like refreshing your home for the new seasons. To do so, our editors suggest keeping things bright and airy with white décor, linens, ceramics, and stylish kitchen appliances.
✨ Food/Fun
Besides the color of the year becoming the go-to for home décor, many people are turning to the hue as a theme for their brunches and small gatherings. For those who love sweet treats, expect to see more white chocolate and vanilla-flavored offerings at picnics and backyard get-togethers.
✨ Wellness
As advocates for self-care and wellness, the BrownStyle Editors always try to find ways to incorporate the color of the year in their daily self-care routines. The team agreed on finding yoga mats, meditation cushions, and journals that feature the soft color.
Editor’s Note: This story has been edited and condensed for clarity.
