Mocha Mousse is Pantone Color for 2025
By Jill Brooke
Nature is inspiring Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025 – Mocha Mousse.
“Pantone’s trend prognosticators surveyed fashion and design to land on a color “infused with subtle elegance and earthy refinement,” Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a statement
Before Pantone turned its color standard into a big biz and marketing bonanza, turns out the first modern color systems came from naturalists. They were trying to identify and differentiate birds and flowers in reference works known as color dictionaries and encouraged the practice of being consistent and having a “color” vocabulary.
Now in a full circle, Pantone says that “the evocative soft brown and warming rich brown hue” seizes “a growing movement to align ourselves with the natural world.”
This marks the first time in the 25-year history of Pantone’s color of the year that they’ve chosen a shade of brown,
New York Times style editors asked interesting questions.
“But in an oversaturated, digital world, does Mocha Mousse stand a chance at defining 2025?”
New York Times writer Misty White Sidell opined, “ It reminds me of kayaking in “alligator-y” parts of the Everglades — pure swamp.” Callie Holtermann liked that it’s a touch warmer than William Wegman’s Weimaraner portraits, but less saturated than a bowlful of brownie batter. Farewell, “Brat” green from last year.
In the flower world, these neutrals have already been trending with mocha shades at wedding and toffee colors. Rosaprima has had enormous success with its Moab roses and now more browns will populate floral designs. Think of plumes of brown feathers and more ivory tones.
Will growers accommodate? Since growers plan years ahead with new breeds, the Pantone color won’t impact much. After all, the growers are part of the decision makers who have seeded the trends that Pantone gathers from to make its assessments.
Fashion is supposed to be fun and we get inspiration from many sources. I personally look forward to what Pantone’s color will be and see how it marinates into the soup of pop culture and design.
