3 Reasons to Love the PANTONE 2025 Color of the Year
Why—despite its polarizing debut—Mocha Mousse may win you over after all.
Last month, when the brains at PANTONE® announced the highly-anticipated Color of the Year as a warm, earthy brown hue called Mocha Mousse, hoards of keyboard warriors flocked to the brand’s Instagram account to express their disdain in a way one would come to expect of chronically online iNtellEctUaLs—with a barrage of poop emojis.
Color is subjective I suppose, but come on. Brown deserves better.
Those of us who were paying attention as the “latte makeup” trend swept across social feeds last year knew we were on the cusp of a cultural mocha moment.
Well, it’s here.
"Underpinned by our desire for every day pleasures, Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence,” explained Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the PANTONE Color Institute. “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.”
With 2025 now in full swing, let’s take a closer look at why Mocha Mousse is a solid pick for PANTONE’s coveted Color of the Year.
There’s a Human Element to It
"Mocha Mousse being a color that could be related to the skin is very interesting,” said fashion designer Papa Oppong, who landed on rich browns and tans for his Fall 2025 collection long before PANTONE’s announcement. “That’s where my brain went immediately. This is a skin tone. Then I started to think about what that could mean in the world of fashion,” he continued.
"What does it mean when this mocha color is transformed into colors for fabrications and textiles? Will we see an influx of black and brown models on the runway? I’m thinking of Tyla and other modern day black superstars, and what this looks like for them in terms of dressing and trend-setting.”
Oppong isn’t the only one who made this connection.
Each year, PANTONE says the Color of the Year pick is intended to “capture the global zeitgeist” and highlight the relationship between color and culture. Oppong, whose collections tell rich stories of his Ghanaian heritage, thinks that’s where the real power lies.
"It creates an opportunity for peoples’ brains to be conditioned to recognize these colors, not just in [fashion,] but in history, and in humanity.”
Its Strong Chromatic Foundation is Perfect for Pairing
A standout color on its own, Mocha Mousse is also seemingly made to be matched. Along with the Color of the Year announcement, PANTONE created five unique color palettes with thematic tones that play well with the 2025 color choice.
"I think you have a lot of free play with browns and the variations of hues you can [work] with,” said celebrity stylist, fashion editor, and menswear expert Jeffrey Ampratwum. “Brown and red is a very interesting color combination.”
“Brown and whites are very classic…very Burberry or Fendi.” continued Ampratwum. “And don’t forget that creams also fall into this family. You can do a nice brown slack, a nude shoe, and a cream sweater. And gold accessories give off that same Pantone vibe.”
When it comes to styling his clients this year, the challenge of building a tonal look is what excites Ampratwum most.
“When I see brown tones I think that works better for a monochromatic look,” said the stylist. “In the world of fashion styling a lot of people would be shocked to know that monochromatic styling is more difficult than trying to mix and match color separates. A monochromatic look in a brown hue would be something I’m looking to incorporate more into my services.”
Oppong would take a slightly different approach, and credits his Ghanaian roots for his relationship with color.
"In Ghana color is everything. There are literally days where you cannot wear some colors or you have to wear a particular color. So, color plays a major role for me,” said Oppong, who just started a new role as color designer for Nike’s footwear division.
"The way I deal with color is in pairings. A yellow with a green. A pink with a purple. And a brown with a blue. I think shades of brown and blue are some of the most striking combos,” said the designer. “Pair a beautiful coat in Mocha Mousse with a periwinkle turtleneck and you’re great.”
The Mocha Mousse Brand Collabs Do Not Disappoint
A Wix Studio collaboration of web design assets. The sleek Motorola Razr in Mocha Mousse. Color enthusiasts can even get their hands on a Joybird x PANTONE matchup featuring some of the best-selling furniture styles in 2025’s Color of the Year.
Some of the most buzzed-about collaborations are still to come. IPSY is teaming up with PANTONE for a custom Mocha Mousse makeup bag and kit that drops in April. Libratone earphones will release a Mocha Mousse pair later this month.
And in less than two weeks, beloved fragrance brand, Pura, is launching an exclusive release of its best-selling Pura 4 diffuser in the Mocha Mousse hue, along with two custom fragrances—Mocha Moments and Mocha Suede—so even your olfactory senses can experience the 2025 Color of the Year.
To learn more about PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, explore the official announcement.
To keep up with Papa Oppong or shop his collections, visit his website or follow him on Instagram.
To work with Jeffrey Ampratwum, visit his website, or connect with him on Instagram.