CLASSICS: The Small Luxury Design Award 2027
Starting Tuesday, November 3, 2026, we will be holding the “CLASSICS the Small Luxury Design Award 2027.” We are accepting handkerchief designs from around the world.
To date, we have released handkerchiefs created in collaboration with numerous artists both in Japan and abroad. We strive to expand the appeal and possibilities of handkerchiefs by infusing them with the power of design.In addition to supporting artists’ work, we established the “CLASSICS the Small Luxury Design Award” in 2020 with the hope that design will become something even more intimate for people.
CLASSICS the Small Luxury Design Award 2027
Design Theme
— The Power of Flowers —
The Power of Flowers
On a day when something good happens, we buy flowers on our way home.
When we’re feeling down, displaying flowers helps lift our spirits a little.
When we want to express gratitude or celebrate, we give flowers.
Whether they are beautifully tended flowers or those blooming quietly by the roadside,
each has the power to move our hearts.
The power to lift people’s spirits.
The power to enrich the heart.
The power to convey our feelings for someone.
And sometimes, the power to evoke memories and connect people.
The appearance, colors, and scent of flowers—along with the memories and stories associated with them.
What kind of photograph will emerge from the “power that flowers bring” as you experience it?
We look forward to discovering the unique images born from each of your sensibilities.
*Submissions will open on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
1. Application Period
November 3, 2026 (Tue) – January 31, 2027 (Sun) (Japan Time)
2. Prizes
Grand Prize
・Prize money of 100,000 yen (approx. US$642)
・The winning design will be produced and sold at CLASSICS the Small Luxury’s flagship stores, online shop, and other retail partners.
Runner-up
・Prize money: 30,000 yen (approx. US$192)
・The design will be produced and sold at CLASSICS the Small Luxury’s directly managed stores, online shop, and other participating retailers.
*Prize money will be paid after deduction of withholding tax, Special Reconstruction Income Tax, and other applicable taxes.
*Amounts displayed in U.S. dollars are calculated as of the time of publication. Prize money will be calculated based on the exchange rate at the time of payment, using the amounts listed in Japanese yen. (For entries from outside Japan)
Judges’ Special Award
・The winning design will be presented as a handkerchief.
*If recommended by the judges, the winner will be selected by consensus. (Please note that no award may be given if no suitable entries are found.)
3. Theme
— The Power of Flowers —
The Power of Flowers
4. Submission Requirements
Handkerchief design (45 × 45 cm square)
・File type: JPEG
・File name: Please submit in the format “Your Name_Title of Work”
・5315 pixels × 5315 pixels
• Resolution: 300 dpi
• Color mode: RGB
• File size: 6 MB or less
• Hard copies will not be accepted
• Number of entries: Up to 5 works per person
Since the winning designs will be used to produce handkerchiefs, you will be asked to resubmit your design data according to the following specifications.
・Finished size: 45 × 45 cm (square)
・Design data size: 47 × 47 cm
・Image size: 5551 × 5551 pixels
*Since this will be used for sewing, please extend the design 1 cm on each side (top, bottom, left, and right) beyond the finished size of 45 × 45 cm and submit the data as a 47 × 47 cm file.
*The 1-cm area extending beyond the finished size (top, bottom, left, and right) will not be visible in the final product. Please do not place any important text or motifs in this area.
5. Eligibility
Open to companies, organizations, individuals, and groups of any age, gender, occupation, or nationality. Submitted works must not have been previously published in Japan or abroad. Entrants must agree to the commercialization of winning designs.6. Entry Fee
Free
7. Judges
Kanako Kajiwara (Representative Director, KAJIHARA DESIGN STUDIO, Inc. / Textile Designer)
Takafumi Saito (Representative Director, Griffon Co., Ltd. / Project Designer)
Kaoru Takai (Graphic Designer, Sun-Ad Co., Ltd.)
Tomohiro Nakayama (Graphic Designer, Sun-Ad Co., Ltd.)
Sarimi Oya (Merchandiser, CLASSICS the Small Luxury, Blooming Nakanishi Co., Ltd.)
Hajime Nakanishi (President and CEO, Blooming Nakanishi Co., Ltd.)
7. Schedule
| [Application Period] | November 3, 2026 (Tue) – January 31, 2027 (Sun) (Japan Time) Apply Here |
| [Announcement of Finalists] | Scheduled for early March 2027 |
| 【Announcement of Results】 | Scheduled for mid-April 2027 Results will be posted on the brand’s official website and various official social media accounts. |
8. Organizer
CLASSICS the Small Luxury Headquarters
Blooming Nakanishi Co., Ltd.
9. Entry
*Applications will open on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Click here to download the PDF application overview >
〇 About the Awards
*Depending on the award, we may decide that “no entries meet the criteria.”
*Prize money will be paid after deducting taxes such as withholding tax and the Special Income Tax for Reconstruction.
* Amounts displayed in U.S. dollars are calculated based on the exchange rate at the time of publication.
Prize money will be calculated based on the exchange rate at the time of payment, using the amount displayed in Japanese yen. (For entries from outside Japan)
〇Important Notes for Entrants
*The purposes for which applicants’ personal information will be used are as follows.
*Entrants’ personal information will be handled in compliance with Japanese laws and regulations and the organizer’s privacy policy in effect at the time of entry.
*Entrants must not be affiliated with antisocial forces, and their entries must not violate public order and morals.
* Submission to this award constitutes an application for a “prize advertisement contract” as defined in Article 532 of the Japanese Civil Code, and acceptance of the submission shall be deemed acceptance of the contract. Entrants apply for this contract by agreeing to the following conditions and may not raise any objections.
*Entries must not infringe upon the rights of any third party and must be the entrant’s own original work that has not been previously published in Japan or abroad.
*Dual submissions to other competitions or similar events are not permitted. Furthermore, entrants shall not disclose their submitted works to any other party without the prior consent of the organizer.
* Upon receipt of the entries, the Organizer will exercise the utmost care in their management and transportation; however, the Organizer assumes no liability whatsoever for damage or loss resulting from natural disasters, acts of God, or other unforeseen accidents.
*Submitted works (including presentation sheets and models) become the property of the organizer and will not be returned. Furthermore, the organizer reserves the right to exhibit and present the submitted works.
*During the judging process, or during the commercialization of winning entries or the application for related rights, the Organizer may contact entrants regarding their entries.
These guidelines shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan.
Entrants agree that any disputes regarding this award shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the district court with jurisdiction over the organizer’s headquarters.
〇 Regarding Rights, etc.
*Upon the announcement of the winners, entrants of winning entries shall transfer to the Organizer, free of charge, all rights pertaining to the winning entries in Japan and all countries worldwide regarding patents, utility models, designs, trademarks, and copyrights (including the rights stipulated in Articles 27 and 28 of the Copyright Act), and shall not retain any rights whatsoever.
*In the event of a submission that violates the entry requirements, if the information submitted by the entrant is false,if the winning entry violates the entry requirements—particularly if it is identical to or closely resembles a previously published design, or if it infringes on a third party’s intellectual property rights (including cases where infringement occurs after submission)—the Organizer may publicly disclose the entrant’s name and a summary of the case and revoke the award, even after the announcement of the results.The entrant must compensate the Organizer for any damages resulting therefrom.
*Winners must provide the organizer with the information necessary to receive the prize money corresponding to the award won and the handkerchief featuring the winning design within 90 days of the date the organizer sends the award notification via email. Failure to provide the necessary information within this period will be deemed a waiver of the right to receive the prize money and the handkerchief featuring the winning design.Please note that the Organizer will use the email address registered at the time of entry as the contact address. Notification of winning and other important communications shall be deemed complete upon transmission to that email address, and entrants shall ensure that they can receive emails at that address at all times.
Can I submit multiple entries?
If you are submitting multiple entries, please submit a separate entry for each work.
What is an “unpublished work”?
How do I cancel a submission?
Click here to contact us >
I accidentally submitted my entry twice. How do I delete one of them?
Click here to contact us >
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*Information updated October 14, 2026
