When I was 17 I attended a Bill Blass fashion show. Not because I did those things ordinarily but because someone who did had invited me. There was a reception before the show with champagne and huge perfect strawberries and the show itself was wonderful. We saw some truly beautiful gowns that day. The only one I remember however was red. Not just any red but a rich vivid red, truer than the strawberries at the reception, brighter than any tropical flower I could imagine. This gown trailed decadently on the floor, a long sweep of scarlet, vibrant in spotlights. If you want a man to notice you, Bill Blass said, wear red.Red was my favorite color then. It was dramatic. It was classic. It sent a signal. And this has always been the case.
It was estimated that the first reds were taken from the earth in pre-historic times in the form of iron oxide, a mineral now called red ochre. It has been found in cave paintings discovered. Red was used in China as early as 2600 BC in the form of vermilion, a pigment found in the mineral cinnabar.
Like many dyes, red was obtained not only from minerals but from plants. The henna plant was was used, and madder. Chemical tests of red fabrics found in King Tutankhamen’s tomb show that they were dyed with alizarin, a pigment made from madder and it is likely that the use of plant based dyes goes back even farther.
Red was also taken from an insect called the cochineal and was used possibly for thousands of years in Maya and Aztec culture. Montezuma wore red and when Cortez entered Tenochtitlan he found bags of cochineal dye. The pigment was so much brighter than the insect based dye, kermes, used by the Europeans that it quickly became a coveted 'new' world export, second only to silver in value.
Contemporary reds are most commonly derived from minerals such as cadmium, iron oxide (ochre) as well as synthetics based on alizarin. Vermilion the most costly red, is no longer in wide spread use due to its toxcity.
Red is the highest arc of the rainbow, the longest wavelength of light. Feng shui recommends painting the front door of a home red to invite prosperity to the residents. Red has signified strength and courage for literally thousands of years. It appears in more flags then any other color. Indian brides wear red for luck. It is the national color of China. It is reminiscent of the red light district and illicit passion. We see red when we are angry. We receive red roses when we are loved.
People who love red are said to be adventurous, sensual, lovers of life. They can be confident, and vivacious, or impulsive and demanding but they are rarely boring. Red people are considered risk-takers, disliking rules and limitations. In fashion, red can be quirky or sexy. It is the color of lipstick, and high heels. Of Dorothy's ruby slippers. Of real rubies, garnets, and coral. Wearing red can make a social statement almost of defiance. And when, dressed in red, we take a breath and step into any room anywhere, we know we will be noticed.
