Fresh Choices BY KATIE VINCENT


SUMPTUOUS SELECTIONS > The crowning of Mocha Mousse as the 2025 Pantone Color of the Year drew mixed reactions. Social media comments included snarky comparisons to excrement or “sad beige” (the monochromatic palette favored by minimalists). Design professionals, however, recognized its sumptuous qualities, evocative of chocolate or coff ee, and its limitless possibilities in fl oral arrangements. “Never have I seen such hostility against a color of the year selection,”


says Jodi Duncan, AIFD, a retired fl oral designer and color expert in Evansville, Indiana. “Mocha Mousse doesn’t compete. It complements,” she says. “It is a balancing, sophisticated mediator that brings unity across palettes. It is a haven that invites nuance and exploration.” That interpretation jibes with Pantone’s argument for Mocha Mousse. “Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, Mocha Mousse


expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, describing the shade as “sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic.” The selection, announced in December, refl ects months of research


into color infl uences, which includes fashion, art, technology, the entertainment industry, and popular travel destinations, as well as cultural stimuli, such as new lifestyles, political events, and socio- economic conditions.


‘CAFÉ LATTE’


GARDEN ROSE Alexandra Farms


BEARDED IRIS Mayesh Wholesale Florists


‘TIANA BRONZE’


SPIDER CHRYSANTHEMUM Delifl or 18 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | March/April 2025 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


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