Nadeshiko has long been cherished in Japan as a beautiful flower.

It appears in the Man’yōshū, Japan’s oldest surviving anthology of poetry, where the flower is celebrated in verses that associate it with things of beauty and beloved beings.

In later centuries, nadeshiko continued to appear in Japanese literature and traditional clothing. During the Heian period, it was also represented in one of the traditional color combinations known as kasane no irome — layered hues created by combining garments, a uniquely Japanese way of expressing the changing seasons and the beauty of nature through layers of color.

The nadeshiko flower is small and delicate, yet its petals, with their distinctive fringed edges, leave a lasting impression.

It possesses a beauty that is both graceful and full of character.

The name nadeshiko has also come to evoke the tenderness of gently caressing something beloved.

Over time, the expression Yamato nadeshiko emerged as a term for a graceful and refined Japanese woman. Yet, looking back to the Man’yōshū, we find examples in which nadeshiko is used as a poetic comparison not only for women, but also for men.

Nadeshiko cannot be confined to a single image. Softness and strength. Delicacy and individuality. Stillness and presence.

It is a color in which all these qualities can coexist.

Nadeshiko-iro is a Japanese pink that evokes this sense of freedom and beautiful balance.