What Is Mocha Mousse, the First-Ever Shade of Brown Chosen as Pantone’s Color of the Year?

As 2025 fast approaches, Pantone has officially selected its latest color of the year: While 2024 was all about “Peach Fuzz,” a soft pinkish-orange hue, next year’s color is “Mocha Mousse,” a warm and indulgent brown.

“This is the first time in the 25-year history of Pantone’s color of the year that they’ve chosen a shade of brown, which is kind of a big deal,” says the New York Times’ Vanessa Friedman in a conversation with fellow reporters and editors. “I admit, my mind went immediately to comfort eating.”

Colors are often associated with particular emotions or sensations, and Pantone is betting that the new hue will be a predictor of next year’s trends. In a statement, the company describes Mocha Mousse as “an evocative soft brown that transports our senses into the pleasure and deliciousness it inspires.”

“It’s a beautiful color to look at. We think of tasting it, and know it’s going to be wonderful on the tongue. We think of the smell of chocolate in the oven,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, tells Architectural Digest’s Tim Nelson. “Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence.”

Mocha Mousse is a far cry from punchy stand-out tones that have proliferated in recent years, such as “Barbie Pink” or “Brat Green” (though neither was named color of the year). Instead, Pantone says the new color evokes buttery leathers or rich flavors.

“The overriding theme as we went into looking for this year’s color was this whole idea of harmony,” Laurie Pressman, the Pantone Color Institute’s vice president, tells USA Today’s Anna Kaufman. “We have enough going on outside of us. We’re looking for things that are softer and things that are lighter.”

Pressman adds that Mocha Mousse is inspired by “little treat culture,” which involves prioritizing small joys throughout the day—such as a cup of coffee or a piece of chocolate.

Pantone has been announcing colors of the year since 1999. To determine which hue will be chosen, an international team examines trends connected to fashion, design, travel, technology, the art world and the entertainment industry.

This year, Pantone is already working with a variety of international partners to bring Mocha Mousse to life: Companies like Motorola, Post-it and Joybird are releasing products designed using the color. Pantone will also be hosting events connected to the color in cities like New York, Shanghai and Mumbai.

Still, only time will tell whether Pantone’s selection will accurately match the zeitgeist. The Times’ Stella Bugbee has doubts, asking: “Does the Pantone color of the year actually reflect any reality?” After all, how much did “Peach Fuzz” truly mirror the trends of 2024?

For her part, Pressman thinks the color of the year can also respond to the present moment, in addition to reflecting it.

“It’s emblematic of a snapshot in time, and it’s giving people what they feel they need—that that color can hope to answer,” she tells NPR’s Emma Bowman. “It’s us taking the temperature: What’s taking place in the world around us, and how does that get expressed into the language of color?”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.