Pantone chose Pantone 17-1230 mocha mousse as its 2025 Color of the Year for its evocative warmth.
Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman describes mocha mousse as embodying a need for harmony. This selection, marking the 26th anniversary of the Pantone Color of the Year, coincides with significant global unrest. The 2024 Global Peace Index reveals a record 56 worldwide conflicts—the highest number since World War II. The Index notes decreased peacefulness in 97 countries, with North America experiencing the most substantial regional decline.
The Pantone Color of the Year program began as a way to show how global events are reflected in color, according to Pantone Color Institute Vice President Laurie Pressman. The chosen color reflects current global needs, not simply upcoming trends.
A global team selected the color by considering new technologies, social values, art, travel, and the overall sentiment among designers and consumers. Pressman explains their process as identifying a color family emerging across design fields and then narrowing it down to a single shade, likening the team to “color anthropologists.”
Mocha mousse builds upon last year’s color, peach fuzz, which symbolized comfort and coziness.
Beyond the hue itself, the shade’s name contributes to the intended feeling. Mocha mousse—evoking a light, airy dessert—best represents the comforting, rich brown hue.
The color also extends the range of gender-neutral, practical neutrals, says Pressman. She describes browns as foundational and versatile shades, stating, “This is a color that’s honest. It’s authentic. We believe in this. It’s a color we see in nature. We know it’s real.”
