Black - An Infinite Void or A Sinkhole of All Pigments

Black isn’t considered a colour, technically. But if it were, it would be alongside white, as one of the two major colours surrounding us. Its flexibility or even possibly, its ability to cancel out colours have always been assimilated in different ways. In Fall-Winter 2012-2013 Ready-to-Wear at the Paris Fashion Week, the same is proved with possibly four notable designers of various wavelengths.

One of Gareth Pugh’s trademark combination of colours is black and white; but usually like that of a chess board. For this fall-winter though, the show started with a downpour of black shards or it shall be rather referred to as petals since most of the cuts and edges repetitively visible on the runway were shaped so. Swishing out on the catwalk were models given the effect of being in medieval shreds. An evil yet powerful Aztec woman power was prominently billowed upon all.

With power must come control, and with Hermes comes luxury and heritage which aired its black horse rider video in October 2011. A black sheen as on the mane of the horse was felt through the eyes on Hermes’ indisputable level of quality on the black leather straps and black riding gear. Travelling from this equestrian root to modern luxury, this fall-winter, Hermes had to represent its voyage in the form of nomads. All blacks were broken down by gypsy colours and black pieces in themselves were androgynous and toned up with subtle shades of coloured tints.

Continuing the equestrian touch, with riding pants, were also a royal Goth slavish look seen in the Fall-Winter 2012-2013 collection of Givenchy. Black was on furs and a notable coat with kimono sleeves highlighting a strong horsewoman.

Night and dawn seemed to meet at the horizon of dominatrix cum vampire woman which said a powerful demise of farewell to the house of Yves Saint Laurent from a wise creative director. Needless to speak of black by the couture house, the timeless le smoking for women was the first of its kind to attract attention from the whole planet and continues to remain inseparable from the founder’s signature; wherein to bid farewell, Stefano Pilati decided to sign off with a sharp martial slickness from top-to-toe with calla lilies on black to bid a strong ciao.

And there lies from the science of Gareth Pugh, the nomad of Hermes, the horse rider of Givenchy to the adieu of Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent, the various shades of a single block of black continues to be infinitely full within in its void.