Colour

The first project we were set was to research and find out about our given colour in terms of fashion. The three colours were black, gold and pink and of course mine was black. The outcome of the task had to be two A2 mood boards, with one being positive uses of the colour black and the other negative.

I started off by browsing through Pinterest and Google Images to see what I could find associated with the colour black. I began thinking of what came to my head when I thought about what I liked about the colour black and the way black is used in industry.

For the 'Love It' mood board I looked into the luxury items I wouldn't necessarily buy myself but would wish for and thought about what actually made them so luxury. Was it the colour black? The texture? Or both? Whilst thinking about texture I thought about black lace, and what connotations and representations black lace gave and that it covers up but also reveals. I then looked at black mesh and what effect that had, again covered up but exposed.

After discovering and researching different textures I then looked at full outfits and what kind of clothes gave what kind of impressions about a person. For example a woman wearing an off the shoulder, floor-length black dress with a split up the side - classy, innocent, but also seductive and playful. A woman in a black one sleeved, midi dress carrying a black leather bag with a gold chain tied tightly around her waist - classy, focused, business woman. The same works for men. Men in all black suits - sophisticated, intelligent, business man. When looking at these examples I discovered that wearing black can indicate power and wealth, a higher class person with a busy business life.

Using black also for interiors I feel is classy and makes the place feel superior - it creates a sense of wealth and higher class.

“Black is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy—but mysterious. But above all, black says this: I don’t bother you—don’t bother me.” – Yohji Yamamoto“

After creating my positive mood board I moved on to my negative board expressing the 'over it' views I had on wearing black and what I thought didn't quite work or was slightly intimidating or dark.

I looked at the typical outfits and cliché black garments that are worn today such as black skinny jeans, black vests, black long sleeve tops, black sunglasses as I felt this was all a bit safe and basic. Although it's easy to just throw on black in the morning, which could be a good thing in a way, it can also come across as quite boring and unimaginative.

What mainly comes to my mind when I think negatively about the colour black is mourning and the type of clothes worn for funerals, long black dresses, black shoes, black hair pieces, even black/smokey makeup. This look I feel is quite draining, however this occasion is depressing and people do tend to wear colours that reflect their emotions.

I then looked at social groups and one that I highly feel represents the colour black are goths/emos. This social group tends to wear a variety of different materials from mesh, to lace, to leather but almost everything is more than likely black. Thick black makeup is another characteristic of a goth as are studs and skulls. Altogether, in my opinion, this clearly represents a harsh, intimidating, dark impression that I struggle to look at positively.

Overall I feel this task as taught us to think critically whilst also looking at fashion we may like ourselves. I have enjoyed producing these mood boards and see it as a good starting point and taster for what's to come in our course.