Keep your life colourful in 2025

Get your dose of colour, style and design inspiration – from Iris Apfel’s iconic collection to Pantone’s rich Mocha Mousse and the return of Louis Vuitton x Murakami magic!
2 mins read

We’re all back to the grind and mired in daily drudgery, but do not despair! Here is a fun roundup of colour trends, style icons, a fabulous auction, a shot of dopamine, and a reminder that there is more to life than spreadsheets and deadlines.

Unapologetically Iris

Renowned international auction house Christie’s will be holding an online auction celebrating Iris Apfel, the iconic and bespectacled American designer and fashion legend. Apfel, who passed away at 102 in 2024, was known for her unconventional, joyful, and flamboyant style. The auction, titled “Unapologetically Iris: The Collection of Iris Apfel”, will showcase Apfel’s passion for fashion, accessories and interior design. Items to watch out for, if you’re in the mood to place a bid, include a case of her wildly iconic statement glasses, a plethora of multicoloured bangles (lots are estimated to start at about $200), a marvellous mélange of clothing – many items designed by Apfel herself – and a glut of ornate and historic furniture and art. Christie’s  

Picture: Christie’s

Mocha Mousse

In December 2024, Pantone, the American colour company best known for its “universal” colour-matching system, released its much-anticipated 2025 Colour of the Year. It’s called Mocha Mousse (Pantone 17-1230). Pantone describes the pick as “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness” that “nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort”. Why did the company choose this specific shade? Apparently, it captures the global zeitgeist – a mood, an attitude and a collective desire in the form of a hue. Past winners include 2024’s Peach Fuzz, deep Viva Magenta in 2023, and 2022’s Very Peri purple.

To prove Mocha Mousse’s influence, just take a look at leading Italian kitchen company Officine Gullo’s take on the colour. Or perhaps the handful of haute couture chocolate-brown gowns on the 2025 Golden Globes red carpet, worn by Ariana DeBose (Oscar de la Renta), Zoe Saldana (Saint Laurent) and Quinta Brunson (Roberto Cavalli). Pantone

@idontgiveaseat

If you love patterns, colour, and … um … public transport, then you need to follow the Instagram account @idontgiveaseat. It features collected and shared images of public transport seating fabric patterns from around the world. These include a chintzy floral tapestry in Panama, graphic retro-looking teardrops in Lisbon, Portugal, and even Thomas the Tank Engine and his pals in Japan. This is a truly unique exploration of the shapes, patterns and design of an object usually thought of as more utilitarian than aesthetically beautiful. While this may have started as a fun account (run by Parisian director and filmmaker Julian Potart), it has quickly turned into an important design and transport history archive. @idontgiveaseat

Louis Vuitton x Murakami

Twenty-five years after luxury brand Louis Vuitton and contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami collaborated to create handbag history, the duo is back and creating magic once again. Louis Vuitton x Murakami is a joyful re-edition, reimagination and update of the original collection, which featured the brand’s monogram in 33 different colours on a black or white backdrop.

When the collection was initially released, the collaboration set the bar for many other fashion houses, with Vogue magazine calling it the “defining fashion collaboration of the noughties”. In the early 2000s, this was the bag of choice for any fashionista, and fake versions were everywhere. Fast-forward 25 years, and the new collection features 200 playful creations, including leather goods, accessories, bags, silk squares and scarves, sunglasses, jewellery, shoes and perfumes. Throw into the mix advances in technology, and you have better definition when printing and more vivid colours. The new campaign features brand ambassador and Hollywood “It” girl Zendaya, and this exciting reimagining is sure to be another era-defining collaboration for Louis Vuitton and Murakami. Louis Vuitton 

Iris Apfel. Picture: Ruven Afanador

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Jo Buitendach

If it happened in Hollywood, design or pop culture, Jo Buitendach knows about it. Having had an award-winning career in tourism, Jo took the plunge and became a journalist. She now writes for a variety of leading publications on a broad range of subjects including pop culture, art, Joburg, jewellery, history, cultural issues and local design.

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