Jacket and Skirt
Vivienne Westwood
England, 1993
Nylon lace, organdy, tulles

Color as a design element. As the 20th century ushered in synthetic processes and the rise of a gamut of materials, it also created a new design phenomenon - the availability of diverse colors. Manufacturers used these colors to drive consumer demand for ever changing products, and colors became synonymous with fashion. It is therefore fitting that the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum would honor this tradition.

"Fashion in Colors,” explores color as a design element through 300 years of Western fashion and examines changing perceptions of color through various ages and cultures. More than sixty historic and contemporary fashions, dating from the 18th century to the present, will be on view. The costumed mannequins will be installed according to six separate color-saturated schemes (black, multicolor, blue, red, yellow and white), which emphasize and highlight the cultural, spiritual and social associations often linked with each color. By grouping the historic and contemporary costumes by color, previously unseen details and structures of the clothing will emerge for the viewer, and similar elements and trends will reappear in dresses separated by hundreds of years.

Exhibition highlights include modern and contemporary masterpieces by Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel, Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, Emilio Pucci, Cristobal Balenciaga, ReiKawakubo/Comme des Garçons and Viktor & Rolf, along with historical costumes, including late 18th-century gowns and late 19th-century bustle-style dresses. "Fashion in Colors" examines relationships between different hues, feelings and functions in historical and contemporary costume, and investigates different perceptions of color around the world. Once

used to reflect the wearer's social status or profession, color now has evolved beyond this strict hierarchy to express personal taste and mood.

Technology and cross-cultural trade have also influenced the ways in which colors are used, broadening color options by making once-priceless dyes readily available to all. The exhibition's Black section explores notions of modernity and elegance, as well as the somber attire of mourning. Coco Chanel's "little black dress" of the 1920s, a classic example of simple elegance that remains a fashion staple to this day, is contrasted with Viktor & Rolf's elaborate multi-collared jacket and pants set of 2003.

Once the clothing of jokers and harlequins, patchwork and multicolor designs in the

20th century are featured by various designers in both casual and formal fashions. On view will be fantastical designs that blurred the boundaries between art and clothing, created by eccentric or rebellious 20th century designers, including Elsa Schiaparelli's printed dress and Emilio Pucci's psychedelic prints, juxtaposed with more contemporary color-filled designs by Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano for Christian Dior and Dolce & Gabbana.

Blue, at one time strictly reserved for royalty due to the complex production process necessary to achieve this rare color, has enjoyed universal popularity since the 17th century, when trade and new production techniques began to democratize the color. Various blues have made their appearance over the years, from the royal blue of the Middle Ages to the deep blue produced by indigo and the first synthetic aniline dye produced by William Perkin. Highlights of this section include historic costumes featuring royal blue, deep indigo blue and vivid purple, such as an English Mantua dress (circa 1740s - 1750s) and a vivid synthetic colored dress of the late 19th century.

Focusing on the 18th century, the Red and Yellow sections examine the relationship between color and international trade. Since ancient times, dyes have been valuable trade goods, and voyages of exploration often led to the discovery of new dyes and color techniques. A bright yellow English robe B la française gown from the 1760s, in silk taffeta, will be one of the many historic

Dress France, 1775 Ivory ribbed silk brocaded with polychrome flower and fur motifs

Day Dress
France, ca. 1874
Silk taffeta, lace

Jacket and Skirt Junya Watanabe Japan, 2000 Polyester organdy

dresses from this time period on view. As technological advances made dyes more readily available, the rigid social symbolism of color was replaced by self-expression and personal taste, as exemplified in a 2000 Junya Watanabe jacket and skirt ensemble.

The final section of the exhibition is devoted to the color White, which has traditionally served as a symbol of purity, innocence and hope in the West and a color of mourning in the East. The dresses on view include a muslin one-piece dress from the early 19th century, a gauzy and ethereal white flapper-style dress by Coco Chanel from 1926, and a stunning wedding dress (inspired by a nun's habit) by Madeleine Vionnet from the 1930s.

"Fashion in Colors" will be accompanied by a full-color exhibition catalogue, published by Assouline featuring vibrant photography of the fashions on view as well as extensive interdisciplinary scholarship on the historical importance and influence of color, with essays by Akiko Fukai, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Lourdes Font, Claude Imbert, Yasuo Kobayashi, Dominique Cardon and Barbara Bloemink.

Day Dress
Laforcade
U.S.A., ca. 1885
Cotton printed with Indian floral pattern