The hidden meanings behind fashion’s most dramatic colour

Wearing black has long been a symbol of authority, rebellion, death, sex, and other things. Deborah Nicholls-Lee delves into the mysterious undertones of the most classic color in fashion and how Cristóbal Balenciaga made it famous.

In the words of Christian Dior, it is “the slimmest of colors.” It confirms, creates, and adopts styles, according to Yves Saint-Laurent. Karl Lagerfeld seldom ever wore anything other than the color of choice for Coco Chanel. The attractive silhouette of black never goes out of style, whether it’s for power dressing at work or backless dresses at glittering galas.

Nobody knew this better than Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972), a designer for the affluent and regal (Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, etc.). The Spanish couturier, known as le maître (the master) and the designer’s designer, was praised for his commitment to black, which helped elevate it from a burial garb to a high fashion item.

Balenciaga in Black is on display at the Kunstmuseum The Hague to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the fashion designer’s passing. Texas and Paris have already seen this Maison Balenciaga and Palais Galliera cooperation in action. More than 100 of the designer’s exquisite black works of art are on display in the show, along with numerous hastily sewn prototypes in black toile, a break from the customary ecru cotton and proof that Balenciaga was thinking in black from the start.

Black emphasised the geometry and sculptural quality of Balenciaga’s bold designs, such as the balloon and the envelope

The curator of the show, Madelief Hohé, tells BBC Culture that “He utilized black more than any other designer, and he used it in a very unusual way.” According to Hohé, Black was given “the flexibility to concentrate more on the shape of the product” since he emphasized the geometric and sculptural aspect of his daring creations, like the balloon and the envelope.

Balenciaga’s close friend Coco Chanel, who also loved black, popularized the idea of the little black dress in the 1920s. Hohé recalls that “She utilized it like a canvas to assist you through the day.” “If you changed your accessories, your little black dress would be perfect for all types of occasions. That is a completely different approach, as Balenciaga used the colour as part of the design.”

Balenciaga drew on his Spanish roots and was inspired by the ceremonial attire depicted in Goya, which is often black and has lace mantillas, capes, and long, inky skirts. Sticking to a single color allowed him to contrast the properties of many materials, from the stiff yet lightweight silk gazar he had created just for himself to glittering ribbon, tactile cloqué, and dazzling glass beading.

“When he had the fabric in front of him, he knew what sort of black he wanted to bring out with the material,” Gaspard de Massé from the Balenciaga Archives in Paris told BBC Culture. “You have many blacks inside the black,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s grey, sometimes it’s brown, sometimes it’s blue. Sometimes it’s like you are diving in the black, especially for velvet. Sometimes it’s so deep, you go in and you discover something new.”

Demna, the company’s creative director since 2015, upholds Balenciaga’s tradition of showcasing black culture. At the Met Gala the previous year, the designer used Kim Kardashian’s well-known hourglass form to conceal her identity by covering her from head to toe in black cloth. And the drama persisted at this spring’s catwalk display as black-clad models strutted around New York’s dimly lit Stock Exchange while wearing leather masks.

Back to black

But Balenciaga is not the only brand that loves black. At the most recent fashion weeks, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Yohji Yamamoto—a black man’s man—all debuted collections themed on the color black. Black does, after all, sell, both off the rack and on the catwalk. According to t-shirt makers Bonfire and Spreadshirt, black trumps all other colors. Nothing else brings out the visuals as much as this.

Black had become a colour which said you were serious; it said you meant business; it said you were strong, possibly formidable – John Harvey

The Story of Black by writer and critic John Harvey argues that the attraction to black is basically a survival strategy. According to Harvey, the bipolar cells inside the eye transmit electrical impulses when they perceive light and when they perceive darkness. Seeing the dark areas was crucial in prehistoric times because they can have been either dangerous or safe hiding spots. He says that while white is regarded as the backdrop color when there are black and white stripes, the black tends to project more. “Our eyes see black strongly. It may be a non-colour in a certain sense, but it’s also the strongest colour.”

Black is a useful color as well. Black is skillfully used in many Islamic nations, where it is used to absorb heat and force hot air to ascend. Dark-colored draped clothing, like the thawb and the abaya, induces a convection current of cold air through the layers of the garment.

It appears that black has fascinated mankind from the dawn of humanity. Ebony wood, black marble, and rich black wool were among the black pleasures that have existed throughout history, says Harvey. However, black also represented virtue and responsibility, and clergy members wore it frequently beginning in the 11th century. Later, royals embraced it to identify themselves with the reverence and authority of the church, including Philip II of Spain (1527-98). “Black had evolved into a color that indicated seriousness; “Black had become a colour which said you were serious; it said you meant business; it said you were strong, possibly formidable,” says Harvey.

He says that black has always had this duality. Black is both class, money, and distinction on the one hand, and humility, service, and commitment on the other. The differences between the two were mostly due to the materials. The production of rich black dyes was costly. The coarse, durable twilled black fustian that the common people had to make due with. Only the nobles owned satins and velvets.

Black eventually reached the middle-class merchants and businesspeople, but it was fairly austere and dreary. The 19th-century version of a social influencer, leading dandy Beau Brummell, observed how industrialization was transferring power to the emerging middle classes. He gave black a new meaning by wearing it in his sleek, close-cut suits, which not only acknowledged the rising influence of this group but also restored the pleasure to the color. Black recreated itself and persisted in vogue despite the frivolity being curtailed by William IV’s and Queen Victoria’s more sober reigns, which seemed to match the new era’s morals and modesty well.

However, Black’s appeal is more than just a tale about conformity and winning favor. It has the ability to intimidate as well. Harvey says that Ivan the Terrible’s secret police wore black in the 16th century, and that hundreds of years later, “fascist black” became the attire of the extreme right. He claims that the SS under Himmler “wore black as a sort of horror color.” “The same as Mussolini’s blackshirts did.”

The color also represents subversion. Subcultures like rockers, punks, and goths used black to defy conventional norms, contrasting their “youthful vivacity,” as Harvey puts it, with somber and menacing attire. However, black is also connected with protest in popular culture. In 2018, during the Golden Globes, celebrities supported the anti-sexual harassment organization Time’s Up. it was black they elected to wear.

Black can be incredibly dramatic and it can be incredibly functional at the same time – Alex Longmore

Today, some brides are even choosing black instead of the traditionally patriarchal color white, choosing instead a hue that now represents maturity and self-assurance. In fact, black has a strong sexual presence in western culture, from Holly Golightly’s flirtatious Givenchy black satin sheath dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Sandy’s coming-of-age all-black wardrobe in the Grease finale when she switches from buttoned-up white to sensual, skin-tight black.

Celebrity stylist Alex Longmore has worked with a wide range of well-known figures, many of whom she has dressed in black, including Joan Collins, Jerry Hall, Zara Phillips, and Vinnie Jones. She tells BBC Culture that “black is such a strong color in fashion.” It is capable of being both very theatrical and quite practical at the same time. One example is the Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. Their features truly stood out in the sea of black, according to Longmore. “Black forces you to concentrate on the issue at hand rather than the surroundings.”

Black is a master of paradox, being both traditional and rebellious, formal yet ethereal, fashionable and secure. “Many of my customers who have important positions in business or who are well-known in the public adore black since it is a color that goes with everything and can be worn on any occasion. It’s simple, doesn’t cause a fuss, and blends in with everything “Longmore says. “I believe that black will endure.”

Balenciaga in Black is at the Kunstmuseum The Hague until 5 March 2023.