Lanvin: Spring 2009

Color

(iwen)

In ancient Egypt, color was an integral part of the substance and being of everything in life. The color of something was a clue to the substance or heart of the matter. When it was said that one could not know the color of the gods, it meant that they themselves were unknowable, and could never be completely understood. In art, colors were clues to the nature of the beings depicted in the work. For instance, when Amon was portrayed with blue skin, it alluded to his cosmic aspect. Osiris' green skin was a reference to his power over vegetation and to his own resurrection.

Of course, not every use of color in Egyptian art was symbolic. When overlapping objects, such as when portraying a row of oxen, the colors of each animal is alternated so as to differentiate each individual beast. Apart from these practical considerations though, it is safe to say that the Egyptian use of color in their art was largely symbolic.

The Egyptian artist had at his disposal six colors, including black and white. These colors were generated largely from mineral compounds and thus retain their vibrancy over the millennia. Each of these colors had their own intrinsic symbolic meaning, as shown below. However, the ambivalence of meaning demonstrated by some should be carefully noted.

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The color green (wadj) was the color of vegetation and new life. To do "green things" was slang for beneficial, life-producing behavior. As mentioned above, Osiris was often portrayed with green skin and was also referred to as "the Great Green". Green malachite was a symbol of joy and the land of the blessed dead was described as the "field of malachite." In Chapter 77 of the Book of the Dead, it is said that the deceased will become a falcon "whose wings are of green stone". Highly impractical of course, it is obvious that the color of new life and re-birth is what is important. The Eye of Horus amulet was commonly made of green stone as well.

The pigment green could be produced from a paste manufactured by mixing oxides of copper and iron with silica and calcium. It could also be derived from malachite, a natural copper ore.

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Red (desher) was the color of life and of victory. During celebrations, ancient Egyptians would paint their bodies with red ochre and would wear amulets made of cornelian, a deep red stone. Seth, the god who stood at the prow of the sun's barque and slew the serpent Apep daily, had red eyes and hair.

Red was also a symbol of anger and fire. A person who acted "with a red heart" was filled with rage. "To redden" meant "to die". Seth while the god of victory over Apep, was also the evil murderer of his brother Osiris. His red coloration could take on the meaning of evil or victory depending on the context in which he is portrayed. Red was commonly used to symbolize the fiery nature of the radiant sun and serpent amulets representing the "Eye of Re" (the fiery, protective, and possibly malevolent aspect of the sun) were made of red stones.

The normal skin tone of Egyptian men was depicted as red, without any negative connotation.

Red paint was created by Egyptian artisans by using naturally oxidized iron and red ocher.

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The color white (hedj and shesep) suggested omnipotence and purity. Due to its lack of color white was also the color of simple and sacred things. The name of the holy city of Memphis meant "White Walls." White sandals were worn at holy ceremonies. The material most commonly used for ritual objects such as small ceremonial bowls and even the embalming table for the Apis Bulls in Memphis was white alabaster. White was also the heraldic color of Upper Egypt. The "Nefer", the crown of Upper Egypt was white, even though originally is was probably made of green reeds.

The pure white color used in Egyptian art was created from chalk and gypsum.

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In ancient Egypt, black (kem) was a symbol of death and of the night. Osiris, the king of the afterlife was called "the black one." One of the few real-life people to be deified, Queen Ahmose-Nefertari was the patroness of the necropolis. She was usually portrayed with black skin, although she was not a negro. Anubis, the god of embalming was shown as a black jackal or dog, even though real jackals and dogs are typically brown.

As black symbolized death it was also a natural symbol of the underworld and so also of resurrection. Unexpectedly perhaps, it could also be symbolic of fertility and even life! The association with life and fertility is likely due to the abundance provided by the dark, black silt of the annually flooding Nile. The color of the silt became emblematic of Egypt itself and the country was called "kemet" (the Black Land) by its people from early antiquity.

Black pigments were created from carbon compounds such as soot, ground charcoal or burnt animal bones.

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The color yellow (khenet, kenit) was created by the Egyptian artisans using natural ochres or oxides. During the latter part of the new Kingdom, a new method was developed which derived the color using orpiment (arsenic trisulphide).

Both the sun and gold were yellow and shared the qualities of being imperishable, eternal and indestructible. Thus anything portrayed as yellow in Egyptian art generally carried this connotation. The skin and bones of the gods were believed to be made of gold. Thus statues of gods were often made of, or plated with gold. Also, mummy masks and cases of the pharoahs were often made of gold. When the pharoah died he became the new Osiris and a god himself. In the image to the right of the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony, note the skin tones of the mummy and Anubis. Both are divine beings and both have golden skin. Compare this to the priest and the mourning women, who have the classic reddish-brown and pale pink skin tones of humans.

"White gold", an alloy of gold and silver (electrum), was seen as being the equivalent to gold and sometimes white was used in contexts were yellow would typically be used (and vice-versa).

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"Egyptian blue" (irtiu, sbedj) was made combining iron and copper oxides with silica and calcium. This produced a rich color however it was unstable and sometimes darkened or changed color over the years.

Blue was symbolic of the sky and of water. In a cosmic sense, this extended its symbolism to the heavens and of the primeval floods. In both of these cases, blue took on a meaning of life and re-birth.

Blue was naturally also a symbol of the Nile and its associated crops, offerings and fertility. The phoenix, which was a symbol of the primeval flood, was patterned on the heron. Herons naturally have a gray-blue plumage. However, they were usually portrayed with bright blue feathers to emphasize their association with the waters of the creation. Amon was often shown with a blue face to symbolize his role in the creation of the world. By extension, the pharoahs were sometimes shown with blue faces as well when they became identified with Amon. Baboons, which are not naturally blue, were portrayed as blue. It is not certain why. However, the ibis, a blue bird was a symbol of Thoth, just like the baboon was. It may be that the baboons were colored blue to emphasize their connection to Thoth.

The gods were said to have hair made of lapis lazuli, a blue stone. Note in the image above of the Opening of the Mouth ceremony that the mummy and Anubis both have blue hair.

 

Louis Vuitton
October 5, 2008

PARIS, October 4, 2008

By Sarah Mower

It was only a matter of time before all the fringe we've seen this season went West. Sure enough, it was down to Jean Paul Gaultier to rustle it up in full buckskin glory, across the cacti-strewn desert sands of the Hermès runway. Naturally, this cowgirl is quite the chicest, classiest example of her kind ever to don a Stetson, and her fringe-swishing posse was led out by none other than Stephanie Seymour and Naomi Campbell.

Only a branded thoroughbred as sure-footed as an Hermès filly could possibly tread this trail with such a sense of fun. The kitsch risk was high, but Gaultier made it look natural: Hermès = equestrian heritage + sophisticated world traveler, after all. His quick mind for the crossover pun also found a way to twist the classic house scarf as a bandanna, and even to tame a poncho to supreme elegance, rendering it in square-cut cashmere knits and slinky jersey day dresses. And the accessories were all-out amazing: soft suede riding boots, mirrored aviators, driving/riding gloves, slim crocodile envelope clutches, handheld canvas-and-leather suitcases, and (whoa, ladies!) even a fringed Birkin.

If the Mexican striped-serape section (with cigars) went a bit too far, Gaultier reined in the references in good time to ensure that the after-dark etiquette of the Elysée Palace wasn't thrown into disarray. Take off the hat and strip away a bit of bandolier leather-work, et voilà: long, sinuous deep purple or green gowns with Madame Sarkozy's name stamped all over them. Result: Even if the luxury-goods gold rush is tailing off elsewhere, there's no sign of an end to the stampede for Hermès classics (fringe-wear or no) on the horizon.

PARIS, October 4, 2008

By Nicole Phelps

Watching a show by Elie Saab, who built his reputation on the backs of Hollywood's glamour girls, the question is always the same: Can you picture a celebrity wearing that? More often than not this season the answer was not likely. The Easter-egg color palette—hydrangea blue, lavender, daffodil, and apple green—will be the first stumbling block. Other obstacles include the outsized ruffles, awkward proportions on what few day looks there were, and fabrics and construction that just didn't look like the best that money can buy. Another issue: a sky-high slit that exposed one model's undies. Come to think of it, that dress may have a certain appeal for some of our starlets.

The pieces that worked came unsurprisingly from the silvery-gray portion of the collection: a short dress embroidered all over in metallic paillettes and a long stretch knit dress with a deep décolleté. Thinking more along those lines will make Saab's collection relevant to the likes of Dita Von Teese and Milla Jovovich, both of whom sat in his front row.

Collette Dinnigan

PARIS, October 4, 2008

By Nicole Phelps

There was a little black dress midway through Collette Dinnigan's show that reminded people who've followed her career of the early days. The frock's peekaboo-lace back echoed the lingerie-inspired dresses with which she made her name in the nineties. It would've been a good look upon which to build her Spring collection. As it was, it was just a (welcome) blip among many other pleasant but less distinctive dresses, some densely embroidered in metallic paillettes or studs, others cut in a filmy white chiffon with a violet butterfly print. Military touches on jackets struck a timely note, but there wasn't enough here to distinguish the clothes from those found in the contemporary collections seen on the runways of New York. In fact, that might be a good venue for this commercially oriented designer.

PARIS, October 4, 2008

By Sarah Mower

How does it feel to be finally in charge at Chloé? "Oh, it's heaven!" exclaimed a tired but exhilarated Hannah MacGibbon, the 38-year-old blond British designer who assisted Phoebe Philo from 1997 through the label's red-hot early-noughties days. Her task is to heat it back up again after several tepid seasons and reconnect with that customer who would once spare no expense to get hold of Chloé's signature sexy-girly things, trophy bags, and shoes.

MacGibbon's scallop-edge coats, rounded-shoulder blouses, and high-waisted flared shorts, interspersed with ruffle-necklined dresses and jumpsuits with an eighties kind of gathered swell in the thigh region, certainly had an air of summery freshness about them. Her contrasts of chartreuse, beige, cream, bluebell, green, and a particular apricot (the exact shade that appears on Chloé packaging) were rinsed of any print and shorn of the embroidery that is a usual feature of the brand.

So was there evidence here that MacGibbon holds a key to the It-ness, the spontaneous, non-intellectual-girl knack that is central to Chloé? In this first outing, some signs were promising—one of the least weird jumpsuits on any runway (a dark green silk halter); a few great pairs of pants. The shoes, ankle-strapped flats and spindly high heels in mixed leather and shiny plastic (no platforms, hooray!), were the best pacesetters since the Chloé clog stomped out the door. And the color-blocked bags with gilt frames and chains had editors scribbling ticks and stars in their notebooks.

In this first collection, MacGibbon said she's aiming to "cleanse the palate" and de-complicate fashion for young women. That's going to take a while to evolve, and the designer must be given time to realign the brand identity amid our new set of economics, something Philo and she never had to worry about when they arrived at the house as twentysomethings. A bigger question is whether the company will see fit to steer Chloé back toward its origins as a prêt-à-porter label for seekers of fashion at accessible prices. At a time when "no expense spared" is fast becoming an anachronism, that would be smart

 

Valentino
October 4, 2008

 

October 2, 2008