In design and branding, colour isn’t shallow. It’s emotional, political, generational, colour forms and builds culture. It speaks. And right now, there’s a growing rumble under the curated surface: what if the telling voice in 2026 isn’t coming from colour-forecasting houses, but from the people? Pantone’s official voice Earlier this month, Pantone unveiled its 2026 pick: Cloud Dancer  — a soft white, airy, calm, elegant. The idea? A clean reset, a neutral backdrop for creati

In the world of graphic design, trends come and go, but there’s one that’s slowly making waves across the globe and forcing brands to rethink their design strategies: New Ugly . Coined by designer Jiarui Wang  in her master’s dissertation at the Royal College of Art, the "New Ugly" style challenges the conventional understanding of what “good design” is. Rather than relying on the clean lines, minimalism, and polished aesthetics often associated with modern design, “New Ugly”

There’s a new fault line in prestige beauty: go-big-and-scale-with-Sephora, or stay deliberately selective and keep control. Two very different modern plays — Victoria Beckham Beauty’s refusal to fully lean into Sephora-style mass prestige, and Rhode’s $1 billion acquisition by e.l.f. followed by a record-making Sephora launch — show us the tradeoffs. The headline moves Victoria Beckham Beauty:  according to recent reporting, Sephora reportedly courted Victoria Beckham’s beau

Gen Z doesn’t buy products the way older generations do. They buy values, identity, and emotional resonance , things you can’t just slap on a shelf or post as a static ad. Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez’s beauty brand, has cracked this code. And while you might think it’s just a celeb effect, the truth is deeper: Rare Beauty isn’t selling makeup it’s selling the feeling of being seen, understood, and included . Here’s what marketers LIKE YOU should note for YOUR BRAND: 1. Purpose