Gucci, dress, spring 2016, Italy
The dress I chose to write about in the Pink exhibit is the Gucci gown from the Spring 2016 collection. The Pink designated to this dress seems to be used as an element of empowerment and boldness that adds momentum to the translucent and delicate organza and chiffon fabrics that the dress is made of. Since it is a 20th century dress, clearly the designer used pink to promote sensuality, power, elegance and femininity for whomever wore it. Based on the exhibit and my research I found that pink in the 20th century is linked to eroticism and sexuality. Since pinky-beige is a color that is associated with Caucasian skin, this has led to pink being in close proximity with nudity and the private parts of lighter skin tones. Also sexualized areas of the body such as the lips and nipples are commonly referred to as the “pink parts”. The pink color and translucent nature of the dress portray the eroticism the designer was trying to portray, as well as, the fact that the dress exposes eroticized parts of the body such as the breasts and the whole lower half of the body which include the legs and genitals. This Gucci dress participates in the social conversation about color and gender because it is a pink dress designed for a woman, but it also objectifies and sexualizes the wearer through its color use and design. I believe the curators included this gown in the exhibition because it embodies the meaning of pink in the 20th century, due to Pink being a feminine, elegant, empowering, and eroticized color this is a great example of how it is used in the fashion industry and how designers are using the color to create identities and concepts.
Bibliography:
- “Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color.” Fashion Unraveled | Fashion Institute of Technology. Accessed November 20, 2018. http://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/pink.php.
