Neutral

A neutral is understood as a hue that appears to be without colour, or rather unsaturated with colour. In this way, neutrals do not exist in competition with primary or secondary colours, but rather as complimentary to the main hues of the colour wheel.

The most common neutral colours are black, white, brown, beige, and grey, and these are considered to be ‘pure’ neutrals because they have no hue undertones. However, neutrals that do have hue undertones do in fact exist and are referred to as ‘near-neutrals’. What essentially distinguishes them from their pure counterparts is that they can be described as colours with a low saturation. Examples of these include ivory, tan and eggshell.

Neutral colours do not strain the eye and thus work as ideal background colours or as the major components of an outfit. They make lighter hues appear more vibrant and help give people a sense of direction as to where they ought to be looking in an art piece for example. On top of this they also possess useful shading qualities that allow designers to create subtle textures and patterns that will not glare out to an audience.

However, the use of neutrals can pose certain challenges as well. Due to their muted appearance, an over-reliance on a neutral palette could create an uninteresting, boring visual experience. A confident accent colour may therefore be necessary to balance out an otherwise bland design. Neutrals also have an innumerable amount of shades, tints and tones, meaning that designers need to carefully consider the multidimensional aspects of how neutral colours are utilised.

In addition, like any other colour, people have recognised neutral colours as symbols of specific emotions/concepts. Neutrals are often associated with tranquillity and relaxation due to their lack of ‘noise’ (saturation).  White has always been a sign of purity, peace and cleanliness, therefore near-neutral whites such as ivory are associated with elegance. Black is the strongest of the neutrals and is associated with dominance, grief and evil. Greys have a wide array of connotations depending on their value and hue but generally linked to being timeless and designer (à la Dior) as well as industrial, corporate, and methodical. Brown is a reminder of home, of nature, of modest warmth and simple authenticity.

 

Neutrals and Neons

Colour Communication from the Valentino Spring 2021 Couture Collection

As mentioned previously in my research, neutral colours often call for bright accent colours to break away from the bland – vibrant flashes of fluorescence suggest focus, personality, deviance, or perhaps something on a much deeper level.

For his Spring 2021 Haute Couture show, Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director of Valentino since 2008, fashioned a collection that would not only demonstrate expert use of neutral and neon colours, but also offer insightful commentary on the state of the pandemic-struck world as it is in 2021. His previous Autumn 2020 Couture collection featured extravagant garments and gowns devoid of all colour – opting instead for an eerie, unsettlingly pure white aesthetic. I find this worth mentioning as I believe that Piccioli at the time was suggesting that the world, held hostage by COVID-19, had lost its colour, its vibrancy, the carefree fun we could have associated with the pre-pandemic world. Pessimism had entrenched us.

Now, however, in 2021, Piccioli seems to have felt an ounce of new year optimism. His Spring Couture collection, while still dominated by neutral whites, eggshells, and ivories, was now perforated with neon pinks and greens and blues. The opening look was a white garment literally perforated with holes to reveal the hot flash of a pink underlayer. Later in the collection, we see more and more colour coming through, dusty pinks matched with beige and white, outrageous magenta sat atop gold thigh-high boots, electrifying neon greens and blues fighting their way out from underneath a barrage of quiet browns and blacks.

To conclude, I really enjoyed seeing Piccioli’s clash of neutral and neon, not only because it allowed for some incredible couture pieces to be produced, but also because I see this collection as a masterclass in contemporary social commentary, truly capturing a moment in history through the medium of fashion. I believe this is a gold standard of visual storytelling through expert employment of colour.