Antwerp: Zwart

My mind’s eye is all about colors like mustard yellow, Peruvian turquoise, clay orange, and avocado green. But by far I favor the color black for all practical intents and purposes. So Antwerp’s ModeMuseum (MoMu)’s current exhibition of BLACK. Masters of Black in Fashion & Costume (running through August 8, 2010) is right up my alley.

Beyond its traditional facade are a modern entranceand a sunny, lofty interior. Before you enter the main exhibition, there is a display of the MoMu Award 2010 winner Mariel Manuel’s quirky collection.

Then it’s on to a fantasy world where the color of night rules…just as I like it. Zwart is Dutch for black. And what better way to meet zwart than to be greeted at the door by this first piece, a Givenchy couture gown by Riccardo Tisci, followed by provocative groupings of black clothing, accessories (I especially love the leather harness), and jewelry by Belgian and international designers like Olivier Theyskens, Ann Demeulemeester, Victor & Rolf, and Junya Watanabe to showcase the history, evolution, and art of fashion in the context of the color of black.

I really enjoy this comparison between a McQueen and an 18th century gown…can you guess which is which?

Now you can’t possibly let me leave this entry without a nod to my favorite designer who made black de riguer, do you? Next to the simple black Chanel sheath dress, there is a quotation from a 1926 Vogue review: The Chanel “Ford:”…the frock that all the world will wear–its model “817” of black crepe de chine…it will become a standard wardrobe component for all women of taste…” . I can’t think of a more apt or prophetic description for the little black dress.

It’s truly impossible to photograph the color of black, especially when flash photography is not permitted, so I’ll leave you with this one last shot that I tried to take a few times to capture all the details of the lace and beading used in the capes.

July 23, 2010