VSHow to distinguish yourself from ordinary mortals? By wearing red, of course. Present since the dawn of time – works made from red ocher earth have been found since the Paleolithic – this shade, rich in symbols, is as appreciated as it is criticized. Too flashy for some, who associate it with the image of the devil and violence, for others it is synonymous with power. It is not for nothing that Chinese emperors saw it as the color of prosperity, when cardinals wore the red cassock – a reference to the blood of Christ – to better establish their authority.
In any case, red is historically the color of luxury. In the 16th centurye century, it can only be made from cochineal, a small Mexican insect unearthed by the conquistadors, who made it into a commodity as precious as gold. And only applies to the noblest fibers, including silk, then reserved for high society.
This is evidenced by the Saxon princesses and Madonnas captured by the German painter Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), who loved to wrap his models in the most beautiful scarlet fabrics. Louis XIV preferred to wear carmine on his feet. Under his reign, the red heel had become a sign of social distinction, as would be years later the famous sole of shoe designer Christian Louboutin, launched in 1991.
From Judy Garland to Lady Gaga
The two – the accessory and the color – were already combined before this in a spectacular way in The Red Slippers (1948), classic by Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell, or in The Magician of‘OZ (1939) by Victor Fleming. The latter narrates the adventures of a young Judy Garland, shiny scarlet and rhinestone pumps on her feet. According to the good fairy who broods over the heroine, they can only be worn by a person with a pure heart. They grant wishes and allow you to teleport long distances across the land of Oz.
The fate of these shoes is as supernatural as their powers, since, among the five pairs created by costume designer Adrian, one was stolen – before resurfacing in 2018 – and another was miraculously found at the bottom of a basement. dusty ground and a third won during a photo competition in the 1940s. The last two are respectively the properties of the Smithsonian Museum and… Lady Gaga.
Finally, it’s impossible to talk about red in fashion without mentioning the Italian Valentino Garavani, who made it his favorite color. And this from his beginnings, in 1959, when he unveiled a gleaming cocktail dress called Fiesta, cut from tulle and accessorized with long opera gloves and pumps, also crimson. If the house is now exploring, under the stylistic leadership of Pierpaolo Piccioli, other chromatic repertoires (pink, blue and, more recently, black), carmine remains in style this season. And is available on all supports, from earrings to shoes, without forgetting, of course, handbags.
