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PANTONE’s Colour of the Year 2025

Jasmin Sparke
Jasmin Sparke
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PANTONE’s Colour of the Year 2025

17-1230 Mocha Mousse

The announcement of the Pantone Colour of the Year is always eagerly awaited and sets the standard for design trends in a variety of industries.

The rich, warming brown PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, which Pantone has introduced for 2025, embodies effortless grace with its ultimate earthy tone. Drawing inspiration from the luxuriance of chocolate and coffee, it seamlessly blends comforting familiarity with a hint of understated charm.

“Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence. Sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse extends our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspirational and luxe.” – Pantone Executive Director

[Image Credit: Pantone]

A Celebration of Indulgence

Through Pantone’s reinterpretation, Brown—once associated with staleness and melancholy in Bruce Hilliard’s 2013 colour psychology thesis—has seen a vivid metamorphosis. The Mocha Mousse hues of brown are drawn from the richness of espresso, the golden sweetness of maple syrup, the indulgent profusion of chocolate, and caramel while honouring the inherent beauty of wood. The colour brown is now regarded as a genderless, practical sophistication that effortlessly conveys warmth and depth.

As gorpcore and hiking-inspired aesthetics gain popularity, brown emerges as a key component. Representative of earthy tones, Pantone’s Mocha Mouse skilfully combines functionality with a feeling of classic elegance, beckoning us to accept nature’s subtle enchantments and anchor ourselves in it. Whether it be the versatility of wood, the toughness of well-worn hiking boots, or the depth of leather—brown brings us together in a setting where pragmatism and design coexist and encourages a deeper respect for the natural materials that inspire it.

[Image Credit: Pantone]

Quiet luxury and everyday pleasures

Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Colour Institute, emphasizes how Mocha Mousse reflects a collective desire for comfort and connection:

“For Pantone Colour of the Year 2025, we look to a mellow brown hue whose inherent richness and sensorial and comforting warmth extends further into our desire for comfort, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others.”

The continued popularity of “quiet luxury” in the design industry, which is characterised by subtle elegance and classic appeal, is reflected by this grounding yet opulent shade. It serves as a reminder that often the most tasteful decisions are ones that express comfort and familiarity.

[Image Credit: Pantone]

Reflecting on Last Year’s Colour

As we discussed in last year’s blog post, Peach Fuzz is a delicate and cheerful colour that gives design a feeling of warmth and optimism. While Peach Fuzz embraced cheerful optimism, the selection of this year’s colour, signals a change to a deeper, and more grounded tone. Mocha Mousse encourages us to relax, indulge, and savour life’s small pleasures, while Peach Fuzz embraced cheerful optimism.

Mocha Mousse serves as a reminder that design can be both aspirational and intensely personal as we move to 2025. There are countless ways to create settings and moments of casual elegance with this deep, earthy brown, from minimalist to richly detailed designs, across a variety of industries.