Color stans eagerly await the annual announcement of Pantones Color of the Year. It serves as a vibe check or prescription for the year ahead. In the age of heightened political anxiety, the never-ending search for a work-life balance, and wellness kicks, Pantone seems to have identified a color trend that captures this spirit: Mocha Mousse. As its name suggests, the color is soft, smooth, and most of all, sweet. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at Pantone Color Institute, said in a statement Underpinned by our desire for every day pleasures, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence.If not a color, Mocha Mousse is a reminder about the virtues of self-care, to treat yo self, and most of all to indulge. In an interview with USA Today, Pantone Color Institute vice president Laurie Pressman said the color recalls little treat culture. In other words, it is the latte you devoured yesterday (and the day before), its curling up on the couch, its a new makeup palette. Its finding a me moment. Beyond its visual element, Mocha Mousse elicits other sensorial qualities, such as touch and smell. (Courtesy Pantone)To this end, there is a heightened sensorial quality to the color, much like with 2024s Peach Fuzz. Mocha Mousse is not just visual; it elicits smells such as that of rich chocolate stirred with robust espresso, and promotes touch in its suave texture. A launch event in New York created these experiences in the Altman Building with mousse served on silver trays and the aroma of cocoa wafting in the air.While chosen as the color of the year for 2025, Mocha Mousse has a noted timeless quality to it. Its dark, slightly golden hues imply an element of luxe that designers have already picked up on. Here at AN, weve observed in it OMA and DJ Harveys Bali nightclub collab, but also in the material palette curated by Rockwell Group for restaurant Din Tai Fung, and in an Aesop store on Wall Street that glistens with art deco elements.On social media, some cheeky spectators, including Dori Tunstall, weighed in on the choice, drawing comparison between the color and Pantones imagery, and the . What does that say about our upcoming year?