What do you think of when you think of the color Red?

Love? Passion? Good luck? Happiness? Power?

Or maybe red makes you think of all of those things.

But I want to explain where the color lies in fashion history so that will maybe show you all why I choose to use red in so many of my designs.

Red used to be associated with royalty, especially in European culture, according an article and podcast from NPR.

Listen to the podcast here:

Kings and queens, lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses made sure to add a little bit of red to their outfits.

Why?

Wool dyed red with crushed cochineal. (Photo courtesy of putneymark/Flickr)

Well apparently, the dye used to create the color red was extremely expensive, so of course only the noblest could afford to wear the hue. The dyes were concocted from a small insect that resides in cochineal (the same bug that is used for food coloring! Crazy!), a Mexican cactus, and were very rare. It was a sign of prosperity and wealth if you were able to wear as bold a color as red.

Thankfully, in the mid-1800s, the color red became more accessible to the everyday person. Synthetic dyes were introduced, and red no longer became of a signal of status, but showed emotion.

Remember back in 2010 when Rihanna was fierce with red hair! Such a confident fashion statement at the time! (Photo courtesy of avrilllllla/Flickr)

People can stand out in red and show power, confidence, love, beauty and how fashion-forward they are.

And not only does the color red show so many different emotions, I think it also describes me.

Red represents strength, confidence and passion — things I also aim to represent as a wife, mother, entrepreneur and a friend. It is an elegant and exotic color, and I love the ancient history it holds, because not only is it a color of nobility, it is a color that is supposed to block negative energies.

The color red is supposed to bring happiness, positivity, good luck and even fertility, much like the Huayruro seeds I use in my designs. The color symbolizes all of those good things, has a rich history (literally!) and I believe it is the color that designs me the best!

Bracelets, bracelets, and of course, more bracelets!

I hope this better explains why I use red so often in my designs and why it’s not only important to me, but to fashion!

Sincerely

Evelyn Brooks

What do you think of when you think of the color Red?

Love? Passion? Good luck? Happiness? Power?

Or maybe red makes you think of all of those things.

But I want to explain where the color lies in fashion history so that will maybe show you all why I choose to use red in so many of my designs.

Red used to be associated with royalty, especially in European culture, according an article and podcast from NPR.

Listen to the podcast here:

Kings and queens, lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses made sure to add a little bit of red to their outfits.

Why?

Wool dyed red with crushed cochineal. (Photo courtesy of putneymark/Flickr)

Well apparently, the dye used to create the color red was extremely expensive, so of course only the noblest could afford to wear the hue. The dyes were concocted from a small insect that resides in cochineal (the same bug that is used for food coloring! Crazy!), a Mexican cactus, and were very rare. It was a sign of prosperity and wealth if you were able to wear as bold a color as red.

Thankfully, in the mid-1800s, the color red became more accessible to the everyday person. Synthetic dyes were introduced, and red no longer became of a signal of status, but showed emotion.

Remember back in 2010 when Rihanna was fierce with red hair! Such a confident fashion statement at the time! (Photo courtesy of avrilllllla/Flickr)

People can stand out in red and show power, confidence, love, beauty and how fashion-forward they are.

And not only does the color red show so many different emotions, I think it also describes me.

Red represents strength, confidence and passion — things I also aim to represent as a wife, mother, entrepreneur and a friend. It is an elegant and exotic color, and I love the ancient history it holds, because not only is it a color of nobility, it is a color that is supposed to block negative energies.

The color red is supposed to bring happiness, positivity, good luck and even fertility, much like the Huayruro seeds I use in my designs. The color symbolizes all of those good things, has a rich history (literally!) and I believe it is the color that designs me the best!

Bracelets, bracelets, and of course, more bracelets!

I hope this better explains why I use red so often in my designs and why it’s not only important to me, but to fashion!

Sincerely

Evelyn Brooks