“White is so pure and matches everything” –Christian
Dior
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| Figure 4: The White Trend seen through Various Designers: (from left to right): Dior, Anya Hindmarch, Hermes, Moncler, Louis Vuitton, Paul & Joe, Valentino, Velentin Yudashkin, Chanel, Veronique Branquinho, Elie saab, Rahoul Mishra, Chloe, Kenzo, John Galliano, Undercover, Vionnet.) |
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| Figure 5: Dior Spring/Summer 2015 Dior. “It’s enough of a statement to be tall- I don’t need clothes to be loud” –Victoia Sekrier (Stylist and Model) |
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| Figure 6: Christian Dior working on a collection with Marguerite Carrie, Spring collection 1947 |
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| Figure 7: Marylin Monroe wearing a white fox fur stole; white silk dress, white gloves, with her blonde hair, and pearl earrings. White silk is the perfect texture and light reflecting colour for Black and White Cinema. |
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| Figure 8: Diana Dors reclining on various white fox fur stoles, wearing a silver light reflecting body suit, with her blonde hair, white diamond earrings, again, white being a perfect colour for the black and white screen. |
From New York to Milan,
from Paris to London; a sea of white took over the runways. White trenches,
white pumps, cream dresses, were some of the main attractions at various
designers shows. However Dior’s SS15 collection epitomised this collective
trend. Why is it here? Minimalism. I believe that the reason white
is so popular now, is not necessarily because it’s an irresistible choice of
colour, but because of what white represents.
The 21st century is
the busiest century yet. We are running a speed that we’ve never run before.
With such a chaotic world around us, minimalism, in all its forms, is a safe
haven for the modern mind. White and minimalism go hand in hand; white is technically
not even a colour. No wave lengths for our retina to pick up, it is the most
effortless virginal pure ‘colour’. Minimalism and white nowadays brings our
minds to a halt, and fills it instead with simplicity, peace and serenity.
When white was first seen
as a trend? Believe it or not: the 1930’s depression. The Blonde, Bosomed,
Bombshells of Hollywood, swathed so sensually in white silk, were the vision of
the light at the end of the tunnel during the depression. With the introduction
film, actresses had the huge task of holding capturing an audience’s attention
with no colour or words.
The 1940’s starlets Marilyn
Monroe and Dina Dors (see figures 7, 8) were the masters of this trade. Their
blonde hair, white fur, silver bodysuits, red lips, bias cut body-clinging
white silk, diamonds and pearls were all magnificent on black an white screen.
These stars portrayed a lifestyle that made the 30’s not look so bad, and the
way for women to taste this life was to wear Hollywood White.
Dior now must have been
inspired by Dior then: Dior’s designs were seen in Alfred Hitchcock’s film
‘Stage Fright’ in 1950’s, peaking demand for Dior Couture at the time. Perhaps
Raf Simons for his SS15 collection looked back onto the power of white in the
20th century and decided to resurrect it in the 21st. (See Figure 6)
However, now we have colour
and sound and are no longer in the depression, why is it back? It’s resurgence
is down to three factors. Firstly and predominantly, minimalism is a strong
theme throughout all of the SS15 shows because in 2015, we are going to be
busier, faster, and more chaotic; if we want peace and clarity now, we are only
going to want it six times more in six months time.
Secondly, in spring and
summer, white has always been a trend. White, eyelets, florals, embroidery, all
seem to be details that rhyme with the notion of a New Year, a fresh start, a
blank canvas, a new growth, optimism.
Finally, white is a trend
because it is powerful. Women are at a tipping point vis a vis equal rights
between man and women. Raf Simons stated that this collection was redefining
the modern woman. Is the modern woman not equal to man? Maybe all us women need
is a trend to unite us all with that same power and message to inspire one last
push into modernity…
