Silhouettes in Black, first remarks

In fashion, black is quietly powerful.

Sometimes it's a welcome refuge, a safe haven.

Black is iconic.

Black is its own category, a challenge for all designers to reckon with. When we allow ourselves to think beyond the typical solutions, it forces us to think about shapes, about silhouettes. It's also about surface and texture, but what strikes us first, and stays with us, is the shape black carves in our visual field.

So does the shape need to follow the figure? This image is a style.com runway photo of a design by Stefano Pilati for Yves St. Laurent's striking Fall 2007 ready-to-wear collection.This is obviously a jacket, not just a dress, but it reminds us the body need not be followed in typical ways. Notice, too, the use of thick black tights to continue the silhouette.

Pure low-key drama.

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