NEON FASHION FASHION NEON IS BACK! BACK! IS APRIL GODDARD
One of fashion history’s most influential and eye-popping color palettes is back on the scene and stronger than even this fall-winter. Defining the style of entire generations of people, neon is back and has caused a stir-up in a major way in the fashion and style industries. But where did it come from? How did the development of colors and style so bold, vocal, and unapologetic first take the world by storm and change the course of style as we know it for the last several decades? Where did it all begin? Neon paint was indeed invented decades before in the 1930’s by the Switzer brothers. Both the highly educated sons of a pharmacist, they quite literally invented an early neon varnish in their family bathtub via organic compounds. Their goal was to create a color that was easily visible in the darkness or dimmer settings, and the result was the first ever glow-in-the-dark paint. Realizing the potential profitability in a color that can literally emit light, they originally sold neon paint as a way that those in the entertainment industry could create optical illusions for their audiences (think magic shows ro the circus). During World War II, neon colors were utilized for more practical purposes and became a means for the U.S. to identify themselves to other allied forces. It additionally allowed them to work long past the hours of dusk, an advantage they held over the axis powers. The 30’s and 40’s were when neon first started to be used in clothing for both the military as well as civilians-mostly to convey a message to people or to make its wearer identifiable individually or as part of a larger group.
6 NOV O CTOBER EM B E R2020 2121
