Pantone's colour of the year 'mocha mousse' is all about grounded sophistication

CHENNAI: The New Year is almost here, and 2025 is about comforting and indulgent brown. Pantone has officially declared 2025 to be the year of mocha mousse. This velvety, chocolatey brown is more than just a colour—it’s a reflection of cultural and design trends, offering a sense of stability in an unpredictable world. “It’s a cautious decision as earthy colours always connote old money and class, be it home decor, beauty or fashion. Designers would use this colour to accentuate and complement shades like burnt orange, fuschia and aqua,” states Monisha Gidwani, CEO Vimonisha Exhibition and Events and a brand start-up consultant.

The hue certainly acts like a limitation in the south Indian wedding palette. She says, “The rich heritage and bright palettes of south Indian weddings might overshadow mocha mousse unless it is strategically used to complement striking jewellery or accents in the ensemble.” Monisha believes in the potential of the colour, which will be selectively embraced in India’s celebratory spirit of Indian design, without overwhelming it. After all, life would certainly be dull with only mocha mousse, without the cherry on top!

Ace the mocha factor

Mocha mousse has been around for a while, but I am uncertain on how the colour would work on Indian skin tones as it is more of an internationally dominant shade. I tend to use mocha mousse as a contrast to blacks. But a monotone of the brown hue might not go well with dusky skin tone. In terms of traditional Indian wear, a lot depends on the kind of fabric one uses. A luxe fabric which is rich in texture, unlike cotton which would dull the whole ensemble certainly can be an option for wedding lehengas. Lehengas with gold embellishments, crystals, zardozi work with the blend of rich mocha mousse would be my pick for the wedding season. Sarees in the tissue fabric, or with some sort of shimmer will blend seamlessly with the coffee tone. Even men can pull off the hue in vogue- with a crisp and well-fitted shirt. Since fashion is a more organised industry, these colours would already be on the runways by now with designers flaunting their spring summer collection. This earthy colour would go throughout the season.

—Chaitanya Rao, fashion designer

Mocha mousse glam fever

Mocha mousse is a warm, earthy shade of brown, and for Indian and brown-skinned tones, it’s a celebration of our natural undertones. It is a universally appealing shade which can be used right from everyday looks to editorial glam looks.

Style it the mocha way

Monochromatic makeup: Pair mocha mousse lips with a soft brown blush and muted eyes for a cohesive, modern look.

Layering with metallics: Add gold or copper shimmer over a mocha mousse eyeshadow base for a soft glam vibe.

Graphic liner: Use the shade as a creamy liner for bold, unconventional winged eye looks.

Gradient lips: Create an ombré lip using mocha mousse at the outer edges and a lighter beige or peach in the center.

Earthy smokey eyes: Blend mocha mousse into a soft smokey eye for an understated, sultry effect.

Makeup essentials to hop on the trend

Eyeshadows: Cream-based eyeshadows or pigmented powders in mocha mousse for a smooth, buildable application.

Lipsticks: Matte or satin lipsticks in mocha mousse hues, perfect for an everyday or evening look.

Blush and bronzers: Blushes in muted brown with hints of mauve or terracotta pair perfectly for a natural contour.

Highlighters: Subtle champagne or rose-gold highlighters complement mocha mousse beautifully.

Eyeliners: Gel liners in mocha tones can add a soft dimension to the eyes.

—Prakruthi Ananth, celebrity and bridal make-up artiste

All that mocha sparkle

Though it’s the colour for 2025, in the jewellery segment, the shade has dominated the market this year too. When you talk about mocha mousse in the jewellery segment, it basically denotes hues of rose gold, a very beautiful sophisticated undertone. With greens and reds, a sparkling neutral suits the eye so well.

One very important push in the jewellery segment is the colour of emerald and blue (sapphire, topaz). In fact blue and mocha was a trend three to four years ago. But now, emeralds are conquering, especially in the lab grown segment. The sophistication of emerald with earthy mocha mousse can be a strong pick for daily wear.

For work- A warm tone mocha blazer with a pair of beautiful solitaire, or a two-three carat emerald

Brunch look- Chocolate mousse bodycon dress with a heavy floral neckpiece

—Darshana Balagopal, founder, Adaia Diamonds

Wabi-sabi philosophy

Mocha Mousse is synonymous with a minimalistic look. The Japandi style (amalgam of Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics) is in vogue right now which is all about the mocha hue. The floors with tones of grey complement mocha mousse, even a pure white. Mocha being a neutral tone blends well with a soft scheme. Bright colours like orange and pistachio go with the mocha when you accent it with a throw to lighten up the space. Bright colours on walls or in furnishings are losing its essence now as we played with them last few years. Mocha mousse on textured walls, over kitchen cabinets will be in trend this coming year. My pick would be slate grey with mocha.

—Seema Parulekar, interior designer, Monad Design