Black and White in Western Fashion

“Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony. ” 
Coco Chanel 
 
As Coco Chanel, the renowned fashion designer, once said, “Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.” Black and white are both opposite and unitary. Black, can overlays any color, while white, can assimilate easily into any color. This is the unique charm of black and white. Black: noble, solemn, mysterious, sexy…White: pure, elegant, soft, bright….

Throughout the entire fashion history, black and white, these two colors seem unchallenged. Every woman’s wardrobe cannot do without the classic black and white. Black and white account for an outstanding proportion, not only in the must-have little black dress for every woman, the white wedding dress symbolizing purity in weddings, but also the office lady outfit in black and white, the daily wear and the collocation of gowns, shoes and hats, etc.

Forty-five pieces of clothing in black and white from the mid-19th century to the 1990s are selected for the exhibition. Here you can find the mourning suit, white evening wear from the 19th century, and the black and white classics by major designers after the 1930s. The exhibition will lead you into the world of black and white, revealing how these two colors, originally symbolizing the heaviness of death and mourning, become fashion favorites.