Pantone’s 2025 colour of the year is…. brown, which, yeah, sounds about right

The results are in, and the highly anticipated Pantone colour of the year — seen by many as capturing the current cultural zeitgeist and setting the tone for the year ahead — is brown. Yes, brown.

Mocha Mousse, to be specific, which Pantone describes in its press release as “an evocative soft brown that transports our senses into the pleasure and deliciousness it inspires.”

The warming rich hue, the company says, appeals to our desire for comfort, with its suggestions of cacao, chocolate and coffee.

“Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures … Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in Thursday’s news release.

She further described the “flavourful brown shade” as sophisticated, lush and an unpretentious classic.

“Mocha Mousse envelopes us with its sensorial warmth,” Eiseman said.

Those who follow the annual announcement know it’s about more than a paint shade to inspire our design choices — the colour of the year is seen by many as representing the current cultural moment. As a writer for design magazine Print writes, “it’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about understanding the moment we’re living in and the stories we want to tell.”

The writer adds that Mocha Mousse offers plenty of potential for designers as a “harmonious complement.”

Elle Decor magazine writes that the colour is right on trend, explaining that paint companies have been rolling out shades of brown in their spring colour palettes.

“‘Mocha’ was the word on everyone’s lips at press previews, earth-toned monochromatic moments dominated the runways, and designers were flexing brown tones in everything from kitchens to bedrooms,” the magazine explained.

Reactions are…. mixed

Many of the reactions online were positive, leaning into the lush factor.

“I knew it’d be a darker hue this year yaaaaas let’s go espresso martinis, caramel coffees, chocolate brown furs, and every variation of it,” wrote a user on  X.

But many other on the internet saw the choice in a different light.

“Not poopie brown,” wrote one Instagram user in the comments section of Pantone’s post announcing Mocha Mousse.

“They’ve given up, like the rest of us,” wrote another person.

“Looks like S,” commented another.

Another person simply uploaded a gif that said “poop.”

The Pantone Color Institute has been announcing the “it” colour of the year since 2000, with its inaugural shade, Cerulean Blue, described on its website as mirroring “the colour of the sky on a crystal clear day connoting our desire for peace and relaxation as we enter the new millennium.”

Last year’s pick, Peach Fuzz, was described as “a velvety, gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body and soul.”