Mimosa: Vibrant spring on our colour palette
- Lilla Gősi
- Mar 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 8
Fluffy, yellow clouds… Though the mimosa flower brings a cheerful, positive, delicate vibe, did you know that it actually stands for women’s resilience, empowerment, and solidarity?
Meaning of the mimosa flower
The mimosa was chosen as the symbol for International Women’s Day by the Italian Women’s Union after World War II.
Why?
For a few simple reasons! Around the 8th of March, it is in full bloom in Italy, making it easy to find and share. Since 1946, it has become a symbol of women’s rights, fighting for equality, and representation in society and politics.
Today, we’re offering you the mimosa as a gift, also considering the meaning behind its yellow colour.
Yellow colour meaning in design
In colour psychology, yellow represents optimism, creative energy, joy, warmth, and fun. Some even say it stands for happiness. No wonder that the colour named after Drew Barrymore by Pantone this year is a shade of yellow - exactly for the same reasons!
As Tannese Williams, Head of Fashion, Home + Interiors at Pantone, said to Barrymore:
"It creates a welcoming space like you do. It highlights what you stand for - your mission - which is we all need to celebrate each other for who we are."
But yellow is more than just that!
The first yellow-coloured graphite pencils appeared at the end of the 19th century and were mass produced by Koh-I-Noor. Before that, pencils were made of rough wood, but the innovation was to cover and hide the wood’s imperfections with paint. The iconic, so-called 1500 graphite pencils were named and painted yellow after the famous Koh-I-Noor diamond. Some think that it was a metaphorical choice, referring to China, where graphite was traditionally sourced, and where yellow symbolised the imperial family. According to another theory, by choosing yellow, Koh-I-Noor wanted to honour the place of its headquarters, the Habsburg Monarchy.
Fun fact: Even today, two-thirds of all pencils produced in the world are yellow.
And that’s how the yellow pencil became an archetype. No surprise that even the pencil emoji is yellow…
What is the meaning of mimosa flower
& yellow colour for us?
Lilla:
I find yellow a difficult colour to use in design, but once one has found a way, it can really make content stand out. I have a lemon yellow dress that I exclusively wear in the summer, going to the beach. Maybe that’s why I also associate it to ease, ice cream, and hot, sandy seasides. Btw, one of my favourite children’s books is Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni - I strongly recommend it. Mimosas? May it be the flower or the mimosa cake, I am all for it!
Evelin:
Since I was a kid, I’ve been eager to catch those little moments of sunlight when it turns golden for just a few minutes, painting everything in warm, shifting yellow hues. Whether on buildings, in nature, or on my face, I’ve always chased that glow, watching how light and shadow dance together making everything look more beautiful.
It’s a reminder of how magnificent temporary light is. Never still, always moving, yet leaving an imprint in my memories long after it’s gone. So the soft golden overlay of the sun. That’s the kind of yellow I love. A mimosa cocktail with a good Italian prosecco is perfect for this precious moments.
To celebrate the beauty of mimosa and the joy of the color yellow, we’ve created something special for you. At the end of this article, you can download a free phone background featuring our own illustration of a mimosa flower. A little piece of sunshine to brighten your screen every day.
Sources:
Cromorama. Come il colore ha cambiato il nostro sguardo. By Riccardo Falcinelli. Ed. Einaudi, 2017, Torino
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