By Val McNichols
Well, this turn of events was not what I expected. I went to bed the night before the announcement thinking (and hoping!) that the 2025 Pantone Color of the Year would be an amazing shade of green... and by the looks of it, so did many others! The majority of comments on Mayesh Wholesale's Instagram account were wishing for any shade of green. Pantone had chosen green before - Emerald in 2013 and Greenery in 2017 - so it wouldn't have been unprecedented.
But the professionals have spoken, and to be completely honest, I like this Mocha Mousse color. I think they hit the nail on the head with how the color evokes soothing feelings of comfort. This soft brown shade is light and fluffy. It doesn't weigh your thoughts down as you visualize mocha-colored things: chocolate pudding, a frappé, or even portobello mushrooms.
I know there's no convincing the haters to like Mocha Mousse. Some might say it looks like the poop emoji 💩 or claim it's straight out of Kim K's SKIMS collection. Nonetheless, I think it's a great color for 2025. It screams inclusion - and isn't that what we all want? It's the exact reason my series Beautiful People of the Flower Industry came about. I think it's a wonderful representation of all people of color.
Now let's talk flowers. Those of us in the biz are no strangers to brown flowers. We've been riding the brown flower wave for quite a few years now. The number of brown roses that Mayesh has sold in recent years is astounding. The truest brown rose is called Toffee, and Mayesh has sold upwards of 11,000+ Toffee stems from 2023-2024. In addition to naturally brown flowers, there has been an increase in dyed brown flowers to help meet demand. Such flowers include tinted carnations, lisianthus, tulips, and of course sweet peas, which are super popular.
Trust me, I'm not here to change minds about whether dyed or tinted flowers belong in modern-day floral arrangements. However, my opinion is this: art is subjective. Being a floral designer is such a blessing, and being able to work with flowers from all over the world throughout my career has been both fascinating and fulfilling.
So if you were seeking green but have learned to appreciate Mocha Mousse, then you're that much closer to becoming a chromophile like me. Here's to a year of holding space for our silky-smooth hue of the year!
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this year's choice - are you already incorporating these rich brown tones into your designs, or are you holding out hope for that perfect shade of green next year? Drop a comment below and let me know how you feel about Pantone's latest selection!
Mayesh’s Top Ten Most Popular Brown Flowers
Toffee Rose
Cafe Mocca Rose
Symbol Rose
Coffee Break Rose
Chocolate Brown Ranunculus
Scabiosa Pods
Brown Lisianthus
Dyed Brown Tulips (Brownie tulips)
Chocolate Brown Cosmos
Tinted Brown Carnations
You can find all these wonderful warm, brown flowers and more in the Mayesh Flower Library by using the brown filter!
