What does the pink color make you feel like? Attracted? Repulsed? Loved? Indeed, it’s one of the most controversial colors of the spectrum with such different ways of interpretation. Often associated with the feminine, this tone is has gotten a cool status within the last years with the increase of the millennial pink hue trend and has been breaking secular stereotypes.
To celebrate the power of pink, the museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology of New York created an exhibition “Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color”. Curated by Valerie Steele, the museum´s director, the exhibition gathers about 80 pieces from the XVIII century to nowadays. Until January 5th, 2019, it’s possible to see the amazing creations of famous designers such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Alessandro Michele of Gucci, Jeremy Scott of Moschino and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons.
Gucci dress, Spring 2016
Christian Dior dress, 1960
The exhibition is split into two sections, being the first one focused on a chronologic selection of the color through the decades – mainly related to female fashion. The second one, the theme changes to a contrast between different concepts of the pink around the world, approaching issues like eroticism, politics and rebellious youth.
Besides the cultural and fashion aspects itself, it’s possible to understand different contexts and conceptions of what pink represents in different places like India, Africa, Mexico, the United States, and Japan. For example, in Mexico, the color “Rosa Mexicano” is associated with national identity, while in India the tone is a commonly chosen color for men’s clothing.
“Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color”
To follow this celebration of pink, a book with the same title was also published by Thames & Hudson bringing together the exhibited pieces in amazing details.
A dress from the 18th century