Though pink is a hue that softly underpins many schemes, its fortunes have fluctuated over the years. In the Middle Ages, for instance, it was thought of as an aristocratic colour, associated with luxury, nobility and religious art. It is thought its name was coined in the 17th century, in reference to the ruffled edges of the flowers known as pinks. By the mid-1800s, it was a colour prized by both men and women sartorially, perhaps because of cochineal, the precious natural dye from which it derives. During the post-war years, it became side-lined as an overly feminine and sometimes sugary tone.
However, its warmth and positivity, from barely-there plaster-coloured walls, to eye-catching cerise hues, have once again gained traction more recently. This year, colour specialist Pantone crowned vivid Viva Magenta its
