As the calendar approaches Christmas, the design world prepares for Pantone’s Colour of the Year. Chosen by a secretive coterie of designers and colour forecasters, this colour choice dictates trends in everything from fashion to home décor. It drives the visual language for the coming year. While many paint companies and retailers make their choices known mid-year, Pantone saves its announcement for year’s end, making it the final word on colour trends.
Pantone has announced PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse as its Colour of the Year 2025. A muted 1970s brown rooted in the red-orange family, Mocha Mousse exudes a sense of warmth and earthiness. Initial reactions may have been lukewarm- the colour calls to mind brown pudding or the humble hues of everyday life. Its more profound charm reveals itself on reflection. A glance at a creamy cup of coffee or the comforting tones of a favourite sweater reminds us of its understated allure. Pantone, it seems, is onto something.
The Philosophy Behind Mocha Mousse
In an increasingly uncertain world, Mocha Mousse is more than a colour; it’s a call to ground ourselves. According to Pantone, the hue is a connection with nature that offers a sense of calm amidst chaos. Rich and earthy, it’s a tone that invites us to slow down, embrace simplicity, and find beauty in the everyday. For those who work with textiles, particularly spinners, shepherds, and cotton growers, the appeal of natural browns is nothing new. Decades of crafting with undyed fibres have celebrated the nuances of shades like Mocha Mousse, underscoring its timelessness.
Finding Your Mocha Mousse
The announcement invites many to explore their connection to this colour. Whether in a skein of hand-spun wool, a stash of natural fibre, or just that one favourite sweater, Mocha Mousse exists in both the tangible and the aspirational. Its appeal is its versatility and familiarity, making it both a fashionable and personal shade.
A Brief History of Pantone’s Color of the Year
Since its inception in 2000, the Pantone Colour of the Year has become a global phenomenon, influential in design, fashion, and culture. The initiative, hailing from the Pantone Color Institute, was a carefully devised endeavour to showcase that hue, capturing the essence of today’s time and setting the mood for the coming year.
Each December, a panel of colour experts, trend forecasters, and cultural analysts assembles to choose a colour that best reflects the prevailing emotional and aesthetic mood of the time. The arduous task requires them to study in-depth trends in art, technology, fashion, travel, and socio-political movements and detailed analyses of consumer attitudes and feelings around the globe.
The first Colour of the Year, Cerulean Blue, was a colour of serenity and peace, which helped the world move toward the dawn of a new millennium. Over the years, Pantone has chosen bold tones, such as Radiant Orchid in 2014 and Living Coral in 2019, and more grounding shades, such as Classic Blue in 2020 and Very Peri in 2022-a balance between optimism and innovation with introspection.
Beyond its cultural resonance, Pantone’s Colour of the Year has real-world implications for product design, marketing strategies, and aesthetic trends. It has become a guidepost for creatives, offering inspiration and a sense of cohesion in a constantly evolving visual landscape.
More than a trend forecast, the Pantone Colour of the Year mirrors the times, is a held-up mirror to the world, and reminds us of colour’s powers to shape perceptions and experiences.
As 2025 draws near, Mocha Mousse asks us to wrap ourselves in the warmth of nature, rediscover our roots, and weave its timeless charm into the fabric of our lives. Whether through textiles, décor, or daily moments of mindfulness, this hue reminds us that sometimes, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.