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Writer's pictureAnita Bembere

My visit to an exhibition “Black, White and Red” at the Latvian Fashion Museum in October 2023


I originally come from Latvia and have lived in the UK for the last 14 years. I have not been back home for a few years, until back in October I decided to see my two nephews I have not met in real life.

On this occasion, I decided that I should go and see what has changed in the capital city Riga, and what I could visit while I am there to see my family. As a student of Fashion, and a need to go and see the exhibitions, I decided to use this as an opportunity and see how my natives prepared the fashion exhibition.

I had to pay EUR 5 as a student entrance fee, lucky I saved EUR 2. Cannot compare entry prices with the UK. Feels like I am rubbing the place. However, I did book the guide which did cost me an additional EUR 25! (Ouch!! for the student, but it was worth it) And I am glad I did, my guide was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. On the note boards, there was nothing mentioned about these colors meaning in fashion and history. However, my guide did tell me the stories and meanings.

RED – has always been the power, status, and passion symbol in clothing from the early centuries. And has evolved as an attribute in accessories or highlighting one's boldness. The red shows a person's confidence in their style.

As from other sources, you can find that the red would also symbolize protection and life. I suppose it has to do with the blood color. Red in the early days had been an expensive dye and was made of cochineal insects or madder plants.



Photo by Vahe Martirosyan, Harward Museum of Science and Culture

 

Poppy red has been influencing fashion designer Valentino Garavani since he visited Barcelona and went to see the theatrical show where red was used in the costumes of performers. He fell for this color and ever since used it as he recognition symbol. He loved to play with it in his designs. His specific chosen tone of red is now known as “Valentino red”. His couture designs symbolized luxury, sophistication, and timelessness.

Black – classic for all times. However, it has gone through different stages of perception of its meaning across centuries and locations of the World. It has been associated with humility amongst the monks. The color has been associated with darkness, and mourning during the 17th through 19th centuries, and even until today. Black was used in nurse forms during the war for practical reasons (before sanitization was introduced) and because many nurses were nuns who wore black anyway. Until later on when sanitization principles were understood the white was introduced as a symbol of hope.  

The black has become as formal wear during the 19th century showing professionalism and authority.

In the early 20th century, however, Coco Chanel added value with her “Little Black Dress” when it overtook fashion to the next level of perception of this color and it became a staple in ladies' wardrobes.


 

 

Left above: Satin evening dress embroidered with faux pearls. LANVIN from Claude Genia wardrobe, France, Paris, 1940

Right above: Embroidered muslin summer dress in Empire style. Great Britain, 1815.

Left above: Embroidered tulle summer dress, Europe, 1914.

Right above: Satin evening dress embroidered with faux pearls. LANVIN, France, Paris, 1940. From the wardrobe of French actress Claude Genia.

 

WHITE – has always been the colour of cleanliness and purity. Nurses use white uniforms for practical reasons and some cultures use white for mourning symbolizing the spiritual purity of the left soul. However, the colour white has also had the significance of status and wealth due to the difficulties of keeping it clean. The colour was used in wedding dresses before however, Queen Victoria revolutionized this idea when she wore a white wedding dress when marrying Prince Albert in 1840.

Coco Chanel has also made a footprint in revolutionizing the white colour, when implementing it in her evening dresses, such as her little white dress.

The colour I definitely could not live without is white purely because I always feel it suits me, and allows me to quiet down the pattern or even make the pattern shine because of the simplicity of the white. To balance, white is the colour to go with, even on rainy days.

 

 

 

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