Pantone's Color of 2025 Unveiled: See the Hermès Match!

Image courtesy: pantone.com

Chocolate, coffee, mocha, and mousse are delicious and, particularly in the case of coffee, essential treats in our hectic lives. They are also the inspiration behind Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year – PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse. Described as a “warming soft brown appealing to our desires for comfort and simple pleasures,” Mocha Mousse is

“a warming brown hue imbued with an inherent richness that nurtures with its suggestion of the delectable quality of cacao, chocolate and coffee, appealing to our desire for comfort.”

At the same time, according to Pantone’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman, Mocha Mousse “expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence” and

“extends our perceptions of browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspirational and luxe. . . [as it is] infused with subtle elegance and earthy refinement.”

Image courtesy: pantone.com

While some may be tempted to compare the shade to a popular emoji (IYKYK), and others find it uninspired and dull, this type of warm brown actually works well in fashion, home decor, and even cell phones.

Image courtesy: pantone.com

Pantone has collaborated with Joybird and Motorola to feature Mocha Mousse on their products. New sofa or phone anyone?

Image courtesy: pantone.com

Image courtesy: pantone.com

Softer than black, brown has never left the shelves in handbag options. Although not available in every Chanel collection, recent Chanel releases of warm and light brown classic bags were über-popular and flew out of boutiques. Remember the Chanel 23P Caviar Classic Flap? Or the 21P and 22S shades of warm caramel brown? These were big hits for Coco’s house.

Read:

Chanel Strikes Gold: The 23P Caviar Classic Flap

Reveal: The Chanel Werther’s Original Candy Colored Classic Flap

Hermès, too, is no stranger to browns, but they often don’t get enough attention. Lighter brown hues instead get categorized as neutrals – like Caramel, Mushroom, Etoupe, Fauve, or Cognac. Even the hallmark and hailed Gold has a brownish tone. Perhaps that will change in 2025, with new shades or a return to hues similar to Mocha Mousse, like Hermès’ Quebracho, Cigare, Noisette, Moka, and Cafe.