The Pantone Institute, widely considered the authority on all things colour, has selected Mocha Mousse as its colour of the year 2025.
The “evocative soft brown” captures people's increasing desire for harmony and balance, according to the colour institute. The earthy shade also “nurtures with its suggestion of the delectable quality of cacao, chocolate and coffee, appealing to our desire for comfort”.
Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute, says Mocha Mousse is a logical progression of last year's colour of the year, Peach Fuzz, with similar themes of leaning towards all things soft and neutral. “This is a colour that's honest. It's authentic. It's a colour we see in nature. We know it's real,” said Pressman.
Sarah Merchant, founder and design director of Creative Nutshell Designs, says: “In the midst of glamorous, even ostentatious tones, modest brown has found its year of fame. From coffee to chocolate, this is the colour that blends in harmoniously, yet stands out as rich, stable and warm."
Dos and don’ts when using Mocha Mousse at home
Merchant shared the following home decor tips with The National. “The quiet luxury of this tone allows for it to be used as a calming factor. Use it as a solid base tone – either as understated upholstery in distressed leather, or as a muted tapestry – and balance it with a pastel palette, complement it with neutral colours or amp it up by accenting with golds, copper or bronze," she says.
“Think of this muted brown as the new grey. The roasted natural hue can be used as a relaxing grounding element to offer a sophisticated yet cozy ambience. Psychology suggests that browns are comforting because they are linked with personal stories and experiences. It is not as extreme as black, yet rich enough to stand out on its own. Flooring options in brown will rule the interior palette as the most preferred choices of the year.
“For a fresh crisp look, pair Mocha Mousse with whites and clean-lined geometry. For a pop of colour and zing, add tinges of orange. For a natural earthy feel, pair it with deep blues, mauve or off-whites. Royal purple, shades of emerald or even a deep mustard will offset this shade well."
As for when and where not to overdo Mocha Mousse, she explains: “Lighting is important to highlight the right tonality of this mocha brown. Methodically stay away from white lights – only warm lighting is advisable if you do not want this brown hue staring back at you like a wet lump of plaster. Also, avoid pairing mocha with happy reds, neons or any sharp, overly perky tones such as sunshine yellow, bright pinks or turquoise blues.
“Browns in the past have worked well with heavy fabrics such as velvet and suede. However, this year go easy on the density and gathers. Add a more natural twist by accenting the heavier materials with breathable fabrics to avoid adding too much unnecessary maintenance and drama.”
Past tones
Colours speak a fascinating language and their impact extends beyond fashion runways and furniture catalogues to the collective mood in society, according to the experts at Pantone.
Peach Fuzz, for example, is a warm, enveloping shade of apricot, and was chosen by the colour institute in 2024 for its ability to “stir feelings of tenderness, peace and compassion, echo our innate yearning for closeness and connection, and aim to soothe a troubled world”.
The shade for 2023 was Viva Magenta, meant to be “a new signal of strength that merges the warmth of a natural world with the endless rich possibilities of the digital space”. The purplish red is similar to the gradient colours used in Instagram’s camera app icon, and to the shades on the musical note logo of TikTok, the world's most popular video-sharing platform.
In 2022, the institute selected Very Peri, “the happiest and warmest of the blues” blended with dynamic violet-red. It was meant to represent a blend of trustworthiness, tranquillity and comfort (from the blue) and energy, joy and creativity (from the violet-red) as the world recovered from the isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Pantone chose two shades: Ultimate Grey and Illuminating yellow. The solid grey represented thoughtfulness, composure and resilience, while the cheery yellow brought optimism, energy and hope of overcoming the uncertainty of the novel coronavirus. Other past shades include Classic Blue in 2020; and Living Coral in 2019.
Colouring the future
Pantone’s colour of the year is based on its analysis of pop culture, fashion trends, sporting events, popular travel spots, social media, the entertainment industry and the latest technologies.
Already, tones of mocha have shown up on the 2025 runways of Hermes and Valentino.
The institute’s choice also typically acts as a cue for fashion, interior and industrial designers to adopt the colour into their future collections and concepts. Up for sipping mocha in mocha, anyone?
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
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88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
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On sale: now
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
