Follow the Red Line
Yulia Tkachenko
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Follow the Red Line Red is the colour of extreme. It’s the colour of passionate love, violence, danger, anger, and adventure. Sometimes we see red as the colour of fire and blood – energy and life force, and most of red’s symbolism today sign of its powerful associations in the past. Through Russian history red colour has a special place, it`s the colour of revolution and beauty, colour of blood and allure. Red became a symbol of Communism. It is a story of the line, as a symbol of life way, of the road from birth to death. And its red. I found a huge inspiration in the bloody Russian foretime and narration about revolutions, riots. A visit to the V&A Museum helped me to build a conception of a red line by finding elements resembling red capillaries & veins, fragile & sustained simultaneously. The pallette plays with variety of red shades from blood to coral, supported by basic colours - cold snowy white and deeply matt black. Plunged into the collection, crispy cotton evokes memories of the soldier’s shirt but a slightly fitted cut bringing the female principle back. Despite of her femininity, my lady is a warrior. She will fight for her dreams and future, she will reach her life goals without any efforts. She is resolute but tender, strong but balmy.
Red, Revolution, Retrospective Red is a prominent color in Russian culture and history. The Russian word for red, krasni, was, in the past, also used to describe something beautiful. Today, krasni is used to indicate something that is red in color, while krasivi is the modern Russian word for “beautiful.” Red Square Red Square, or Krasnaya Ploshad, is one of the most famous examples of the red/beautiful contrast. Red Square, the most important square in Moscow, the square where the Kremlin is placed. Many people believe that Red Square is so named because Communism and Soviet Russia are associated with the color red. But Red Square's name, which may have originally come from the beauty of St. Basil's Cathedral, was already in place before the Bolshevik Revolution. Red Corner A red corner, krasni ugol, in Russian culture is the icon corner, which was present in every household from the past, some Russians families still follow traditions. This was where the family's icon and other religious stuff were kept. In English, the krasni ugol is translated either as “red corner” or “beautiful corner” depending on the source. Red as Symbol of Communism The Bolsheviks took the color red to symbolize the blood of the workers, and the red flag of the Soviet Union is still recognized today. During the revolution, the Red Army (Bolshevik forces) fought the White Army (loyalists to the Tsar); Communists or Soviets are called Reds in popular culture. In the early 20th century the word "red" acquired a new meaning and since then has been associated with communist ideology. After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, red became the color of the national flag, under which the country lived until 1991. In Soviet mythology, red was considered to be the color of the blood shed by the working class in their fight against the yoke of capitalism.
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Russian costume
Russian costume started taking its shape in the 12th-13th centuries. Up to the 18th century it fitted all layers of Russian society: tsars, boyars & craftsmen wore it. In the 18th century Russian costumes have undergone Europeanization. However, the national Russian folk costume was popular in the villages till the beginning of 20th century. Bright colors, many embellishments, ornaments, and patterns show the nature of Russian people with the long-standing tradition of Russian folk art. The Russian women’s costume was based on the “rubakha” (a linen shirt or blouse) with volume sleeves. Russian women make their blouses very charming and embellished. Usually their shirts are decorated with embroidery work and beads. They normally select cotton fabric and decorate them with symmetric pattern or bugles. Centuries old tradition and folk motifs are still in fashion today. Interestingly, sarafans (dresses) were long worn by both women and men, and only in the 17th century it converted to the status as a symbol of femininity. The typical colour of the sarafan and skirts was red, as this colour literally translates to “beautiful”. Russian women love to wear bright colored and well designed outfits to prepare themselves for traditional appearances in ceremonies and folk events. Traditional dress of Russia is truly a symbol of ethnic diversity in the Russian Federation and it is particularly known in the world for its natural motifs & range of bright colours.
Exhibitions Victoria & Albert Museum
V&A Museum is the most influential and inspirational place in London; even if you go there on a daily basis, you will see new elements and ideas flying around every time you come. To build my Red Line conception I got lost in the museum for a few hours, as a fifth sense I was following invisible Red Line which lead me to six different objects that were shaped or had an element of Red Line in them. First stop from a long way was my favorite Theatre & Performance area. You just need to come inside and the first thing you will see is my starting point - a piece called ‘We are free’ by costume designer Antonella Petraccaro. We are free is a short dance performance telling a story of WWI. ‘From the very beginning this dance piece was intended to have a strong visual impact. I was briefed on the dancers` movement and on the symbolism in the piece. It soon became clear that this performance would be centered on its costumes’, said designer. Three mannequins connected by red threads - is not a great start to build a whole conception? But I came back to my searching journey and found more breathtaking objects. One of them was ‘Red twisted form’ by Merete Rasmussen. She describes her piece as ‘a three-dimensional with a single surface and one continuous edge that runs throughout the whole figure’. After hours and hours of looking & feeling object, I picked 6 ‘artifacts’, which completed my idea of a way, a journey behind the red line.
Louis Vuitton Series 3 Exhibition
‘Series 3’ is a journey from the past of LV`s history to the future of the brand. Visitors would face all creative process and influence, go ‘inside designer`s mind, muses intertwine with cherished memories and visions of new shapes, cuts and meticulous craftsmanship’. Exhibition built as 8 areas, which touch different sides of LV. Genesis of a collection with a huge geometrical object that’s illuminated by big lamps. Master Mind is a rounded room covered with the screens, inside you`re feeling weightless and like a flight in space. Next room is Artists` hands, during summer break I was lucky to visit Japanise artist`s exhibition called Infinity Mirrored Room, which has come to my mind after LV`s mirrored Artist`s Hands area. Then Infinite Show room was showing the last LV collection A/W 15/16 on 10 human-scale screens. Next three rooms were connected by one idea - the most famous LV clutch, a bag and a suitcase. How artisans make those bags, visitors will see the whole process from wooden carcass to leather clutch. The best bit In Accessories Gallery and Wardrobe sensation is that you can touch and feel each piece, each fabric type from the last collection. LV exhibition is a great experience & ‘an adventure along the emotional corridors of Louis Vuitton’ said the designer of the last collection Nicolas Ghesquiere.
Russian constructivism
‘Constructivists proposed to replace art's traditional concern with composition with a focus on construction. Objects were to be created not in order to express beauty, or the artist's outlook, or to represent the world, but to carry out a fundamental analysis of the materials and forms of art, one which might lead to the design of functional objects.’ Constructivism was the last and most influential modern art movement in Russia in the 20th century. It evolved just as the Bolsheviks came to power in the October Revolution of 1917, and initially it acted as a light for the hopes and ideas of many of the most advanced Russian artists who supported the revolution's goals. It borrowed ideas from Cubism and Futurism. Constructivism called for a technical analysis of modern materials, and it was hoped that this investigation would eventually yield ideas that could be put to use in mass production of Communist society. Ultimately, the movement floundered in trying to make the transition from the artist's studio to the factory. Some continued to insist on the value of abstract work, these artists had a major impact on spreading Constructivism throughout Europe. Others pushed on to a new but short-lived and disappointing phase known as Productivism, in which artists worked in industry. Russian Constructivism was in decline by the mid 1920s, partly a victim of the Bolshevik regime's increasing hostility to avant-garde art. Constructivist art often aimed to demonstrate how materials behaved - to ask what dierent properties had materials such as wood, glass, and metal. The seed of Constructivism was a desire to express the experience of modern life - its dynamism, its new and disorientating qualities of space and time. But also crucial was the desire to develop a new form of art more appropriate to the democratic and modernizing goals of the Russian Revolution. Constructivists were to be constructors of a new society - cultural workers on par with scientists in their search for solutions to modern problems.
Red thread According to a myth, the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of those that are destined to meet each other in a certain situation or help each other in a certain way. Often, in Japanese culture, it is thought to be tied around the little finger. The Red String of Fate
: Also referred to as the red thread of
destiny or red thread of fate is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of ''the red thread'' is believed to be Yuè Xià Lǎo (
), the old lunar matchmaker god who is also
in charge of marriages. The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break.
Source: http://sukideen.tumblr.com/post/24071755591/the-red-string-of-fate-is-an-east -asian-belief
Spring / Summer 2016 The latest fashion season S/S 2016 is replete with prints and colours. One of the most common prints surprisingly was a red line. Following one to another fashion shows, I was dazed by diversity & quantity of lines. Designers built the whole conception using red stripes, stitches & patterns creating a red line, such as Gareth Pugh with anime make up & predominance of one bright colour, Iceberg with the red sound waves print or Olympia Le-Tan using red tights as a screaming detail of each outfit from the catwalk. Withal some brands used red line just as a little accent for simple garments, such as Moncler Gamme Rouge, Lacoste & Hermes; speaking of which the brand has gone further by developing the concept of red line, creating red ‘Mondrian’ blocks which were inspired by Constructivism. Another example, playful & rebellious as always, Vivienne Westwood presented her last collection with a script of political assertion & her attitude to today`s world situation, showing crazy multi-coloured make up & multiplicity of different garments` shapes. I believe oversupply of red line ‘infection’ in prints is not dangerous for the person who is trying to wear them.
The whole process from designing to making took less time than I expected. Probably, I was so inspired by my native culture so I couldn`t stop the proc, it was moving forward faster & faster. Plus I picked so many areas to take inspiration & influence from: here Russian constructivism, Russian traditional costume, bloody revolutionary history of Russia, etc. More over, I exactly knew who is my girl, her look, her moods, her feelings - I`m sure these reasons of fast growing from red line on paper to final garment.
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Every journey needs to be finished, was it a one-day trip or a life long one, there is no sense to follow infinity. The goal of any journey is a final result, a final frontier, whether experience & memories or something tangible. Stepping onto the chosen road leads us to reach the destination, cross the finish line. This is my final line & I enjoyed making and creating project. This is my finish. My line. My red line.