Catwalk / Symbolism of Pearls & Gold

Both Pearls and Gold are a play huge part in Givenchy's S/S16 collection and also have heavily inspired my looks for this project. They are both historically very symbolic and carry various associations.  

Pearls

Dating as far back as Ancient Greece, Pearls have been seen as a symbol of royalty, wisdom, higher spirit, beauty and femininity. I wanted to create a ethereal, elegant design for the catwalk show, so looked into the symbolism of the Pearl and found their meaning fitted perfectly with what I wanted to create. Royalty and higher spirit really link in with the glowing, feminine goddess like look I have designed. The greeks believed the pearl would promote marital harmony and I imagine this would have been one of the inspirations behind using pearls in Givenchy's S/S16 collection, as Riccardo Tisci says on multiple occasions that the collection was heavily bridal inspired. Due to their associations with the gods and royalty, Pearls give an expensive look to garments and have long been associated with class. A simple string of pearls is one of the trademarks of classic icons such a Audrey Hepburn and is said to never go out of style. 

Gold

Golds main symbolism is of wealth, as it always has been. Other associations are with the gods, the church, affluence, extravagance, sophistication and elegance. It is for these reasons why the metal has always been popular among celebrities and royals. Gold is used as a display of wealth among celebrities frequently with their gold watches, cars and even teeth. I like the way both Gold and Pearls carry similar symbolisms making them the perfect pairing for embellishments in my designs. 

lacquertude (2013) PiCture pOlish Tiffany: Swatch & review. Available at: http://lacquertude.com/2013/11/10/picture-polish-tiffany-swatch-review/ (Accessed: 24 April 2016).

Edit reference

Hubs, 21 Followers 90 (2014) The meanings and myths of pearls. Available at: https://bellatory.com/fashion-accessories/pearl-myth (Accessed: 24 April 2016).

Jacob (2014) Gold color meaning - the color gold. Available at: http://www.color-meanings.com/gold-color-meaning-the-color-gold/ (Accessed: 24 April 2016).

Gold car archives - (no date) Available at: http://www.newcarselloff.com/content/tags/gold-car/ (Accessed: 24 April 2016).