What Is the Pantone Colour of the Year and Why Is It Important?

Pantone’s 2025 Colour of the Year, Mocha Mousse, has arrived, and it’s already making a big statement! This rich, earthy hue blends elegance with versatility, setting the tone for everything from fashion to home décor. Whether in stylish accessories, chic clothing, or cutting-edge tech, Mocha Mousse is poised to become the go-to shade of 2025. Ready to see how this warm, sophisticated colour will shape trends across industries? We are too! So Local Samosa talked to Rahul Bhatia and Ammrites Chaand Dhupar of Mona B and Anandita Kathuria, Co-founder of Ruby Raang. Let’s dive in!

Pantone 2025 Colour of the Year: Mocha Mousse – Industry Consensus

The fashion industry sees Pantone’s 2025 Colour of the Year, Mocha Mousse, as a warm, versatile, and elegant neutral tone.

“This rich, earthy tone is praised for its timeless appeal and ability to blend with various styles,” said Rahul and Ammrites. “It’s expected to be widely used in cosy knitwear, tailored coats, and accessories like bags and boots. Designers appreciate its balance of comfort and sophistication, making it an ideal choice for creating sophisticated and chic designs.”

“Mocha Mousse truly resonates with quiet luxury. This earthy, muted shade will offer a refreshing shift away from bold and more vibrant colours and will encourage consumers to opt for calm, grounded tones in fashion. It complements both minimalist and statement styles, offering endless design possibilities, especially in jewellery, where it can highlight the richness of gemstones and metals,” remarked Anandita.

The Influence of Colour: How Pantone’s Picks Shape Our World

Rahul and Ammrites mention how one of the campaigns by Motorola incorporated the Colour of the Year 2023, Viva Magenta. “They collaborated with Pantone to launch the Edge 30 FusionSmartphone in the bold Viva Magenta shade, symbolising strength and individuality, aligning with the year’s theme​. By integrating Viva Magenta into a tech product, Motorola bridged the gap between fashion and technology, presenting the smartphone as both a style statement and a powerful device.”

Anandita shared, “From a jewellery perspective, high-end brands like Tiffany & Co. and Cartier have been known to integrate Pantone’s yearly colours into their collections. A standout campaign would be Tiffany’s use of the Pantone Colour of the Year to introduce limited-edition pieces that incorporate the year’s hue into their gemstones or metal finishes. But in all fairness, nobody rocks any trend better than our homegrown Indian jewellery brands and local jewellers. You can get one-of-a-kind custom pieces in any design and colour possible.”

Take, for example, the launch of the iPhone XR in 2018. Apple introduced its most affordable phone in years, available in a range of bright, candy-like colours, including a shade of coral. Fast forward to three months later, when Pantone announced its Colour of the Year for 2019: living coral, a lively pinkish-orange almost identical to the iPhone XR. The result? The iPhone XR went on to become the world’s most popular smartphone that year, with many buyers no doubt gravitating towards the coral option.

It’s a pattern that continues to repeat itself. In December 2019, Pantone chose classic blue as the Colour of the Year for 2020, a deep, contemplative hue that would help usher in a new decade. A year later, Apple revealed a range of new iPhones, including versions in the exact shade of blue chosen by Pantone—once again, proving how closely these trends align.

The influence of Pantone’s colours extends far beyond tech, though. In 2016, the chosen Colour of the Year was rose quartz, a soft, pastel pink that quickly became associated with millennial aesthetics. That shade spread across everything from product packaging to branding, finding its place in companies like Glossier, Everlane, and The Wing. It even made its way into Apple’s offerings, with a version of the iPhone dubbed “rose gold,” though it was really just another take on millennial pink.

Role in the Trickle-Down Effect and Setting Consumer Trends

There’s a memorable scene in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, where Anne Hathaway’s character, Andy, dismisses the idea that two similar turquoise belts could be so different. Her reaction prompts Meryl Streep’s character, Miranda Priestly, to deliver one of her trademark iconic ice-cold monologues. Priestly explains how the fashion industry’s choices ripple down through consumer culture, from high-fashion runways to the shelves of department stores and eventually into the closets of everyday people.

She uses Andy’s blue sweater as a prime example, highlighting that the colour is not just blue—it’s cerulean. A shade that, four years earlier, had been featured in runway collections by fashion icons like Oscar de la Renta and Yves Saint Laurent. And just like that, the colour trickled through the fashion world until it found its way into the hands of ordinary shoppers. "That blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs," Priestly says.

What she doesn’t mention is that, back in 1999, just before the dawn of the new millennium, Pantone declared cerulean as its inaugural Colour of the Year. While Priestly’s speech may be fictional, the reality of how colours influence consumer behaviour is anything but. Pantone’s annual colour selection is more than just a passing trend—it has tangible financial effects that reach far beyond the world of fashion.

The Pantone Colour of the Year drives the trickle-down effect by starting trends in high fashion and luxury industries, which influence mass-market products over time. “It sets the tone for design across fashion, home decor, technology, and packaging, helping brands align with consumer preferences. This creates a cohesive aesthetic and emotional connection that impacts buying decisions, ensuring relevance in the market,” Rahul and Ammrites further add.

Annandita explains, “Any trend starts at different levels, starting with high fashion, then trickling down to mass-market fashion, accessories, and ultimately home goods and consumer products. For the jewellery industry, this ripple effect means that brands need to be quick to adapt, incorporating the colour into seasonal collections, whether in gemstones, enamel, or metalwork.” Mocha Mousse’s earthy neutrality will likely resonate across all price points, ensuring that the consumer products industry, from luxury to fast fashion, embraces it in varied forms of jewellery, from rings to necklaces to watches.

Pantone Colour of the Year 2025: Where can we see it?

Once Pantone announces its Colour of the Year, the impact is almost immediate. From home décor to fashion, films to consumer products, the chosen hue pops up everywhere—often in collaboration with major brands like Adobe and Away luggage, which quickly offer products that match the newly declared colour. 

Pantone doesn’t just influence what consumers wear—it shapes entire industries. The reason is simple: colour impacts consumer perception and even purchasing decisions. A 2015 survey by the Colour Marketing Group found that 85% of consumers believe colour influences their buying choices. That’s why Apple introduces a new colour for its iPhones every year, knowing it will drive sales.

“We expect to see it in fashion clothing, accessories like bags and scarves, furniture, home decor, and tech products. The colour pairs well with natural materials like wood and stone and complements both vibrant and deep tones. It’s a minimal and neutral colour with a timeless earthy tone, making it a classic choice for those who seek a sophisticated and sleek style,” comment Rahul and Ammrites.

Annandita divulged further, “Expect to see Mocha Mousse in fashion runways, where designers will likely incorporate the hue into both ready-to-wear capsules and extended collections and accessories. For jewellery, we can anticipate Mocha Mousse influencing designs with warm, earthy gemstones like topaz, citrine, and smoky quartz, alongside gold, bronze, and copper metals. Additionally, brands may showcase this colour in minimalist jewellery pieces or statement items that blend natural textures with refined elegance.

The rich mocha hue offers a sophisticated backdrop, allowing for the perfect opportunity to style it with gold Kundan, enhancing its luxurious appeal. Architectural jewellery inspired by cities such as Jaipur, Udaipur, Delhi, and others infuses a charming, rustic appeal that complements both traditional and contemporary styles. “Along with that, brides in 2025 are more inclined towards embracing personalised touches, incorporating this colour into various aspects of their wedding, from decor to accessories and garments. Mocha Mousse is set to dominate wedding aesthetics, making its mark in every element,” she concluded.

So, while not every Colour of the Year dominates global trends in the same way millennial pink did, we can be sure that this year’s shade, Mocha Mousse, will be with us for years to come, subtly shaping the aesthetic of everything from fashion to home décor. Pantone’s influence is undeniable, and its chosen colours have the power to transform our world, one shade at a time.