Sipping on Style: How Mocha Mousse is Taking Over Your Cup and Closet
How the 2025 Color of the Year will dominate fashion, interior design and kitchen decor.
A mocha is my favorite coffee drink. I've shared various mocha recipes — dark chocolate, peppermint, and Viennese — with you in the Coffee Corner of Courtside Coffee. In 2025, you won’t be able to avoid mocha.
Mocha Mousse is the 2025 Pantone Color of the Year. Mocha Mousse (PANTONE 17-1230) is meant to evoke a feeling of flavorful warmth. Mocha Mousse is a rich, velvety brown so indulgent it practically melts on your tongue.
This isn’t just a color; it’s a sensory experience infused with the warmth of your favorite morning brew and the decadence of a well-frothed cappuccino.
Imagine me screaming in an Oprah-giving-away-stuff voice, “Mocha Mousse is Gonna Be Everywhere!”
Unfamiliar with the Pantone Color of the Year? Let me explain. Pantone is a New Jersey-based company that provides color standards for the fashion, graphic design, housewares, and printing industries. The Pantone Color Matching System is a standardized color reproduction system that ensures continuity in color schemes across sectors. Pantone color matching is why you can peruse a big box store and find the perfect turquoise pillows to coordinate with your dishes.
I’m always curious about the hottest color of the year. But I'm extra excited about knowing I’ll be seeing mocha everywhere.
Pantone's Mocha Mousse brings warmth and comfort to design palettes like a perfectly pulled espresso shot swirled with velvety steamed milk. This rich brown hue captures that delightful moment when chocolate syrup melts into fresh coffee, creating mesmerizing caramel-colored swirls.
Just as a barista carefully layers a mocha drink, designers can use this sophisticated neutral to ground bold colors or create depth in minimalist spaces. It's a color that feels both indulgent—and familiar – like your favorite café on a crisp morning serving up that perfect cup of comfort.
From Espresso Shots to Stylish Shoes
Think of Mocha Mousse as the latte art of the design world—sophisticated yet comforting, timeless yet indulgent. It’s that perfect shade between a creamy macchiato and a bold espresso; soon, you’ll see it everywhere.
Nike is collaborating with makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench to create two fresh colorways for the Air Max Dn. Ffrench drew inspiration from women athletes whose influence extends from the field of play to the fashion world. She calls the color of the shoe above chocolate brown. Looks like a dark chocolate mocha to me.
Fashionistas, prepare for an autumn wardrobe steeped in coffee-house chic. Mocha Mousse brings sensorial warmth to buttery leather handbags, plush suede boots, and cozy cashmere sweaters. This delectable shade will infuse even eyewear and accessories, proving that brown is anything but boring.
So, whether you’re sipping on a flat white, swiping on a Mocha Mousse lipstick, or lounging in a mocha-toned armchair, this color envelops you in its rich, comforting embrace.
Cheers to a year steeped in Mocha Mousse perfection!
How to Make a 3-Ingrediant Mocha Mousse
What You’ll Need:
Instant coffee (get some high-quality stuff)
Heavy whipping cream
Sugar
Instructions
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of instant coffee and 3 tablespoons of sugar in 2 tablespoons of hot water. Let cool.
Whip 2 cups heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold coffee mixture into whipped cream until fully combined.
Refrigerate 2 hours or more before serving.
Tip: Taste and adjust the coffee/sugar ratio to preference.
Serves 4-6.