Today the fashion exhibition “100 Shades of White” opens in the St. Gallen Textile Museum. The exhibition features costumes, accessories, fashion photographs and advertising posters, including prominent pieces such as the tennis dress worn by Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2008. With more than 100 objects, 100 Shades of White provides insights into the fashion and cultural history of a light color that also casts black shadows.
White is the color of light, clouds and snow: it represents joy, purity, innocence, new beginnings, peace, stillness, emptiness and death. Hardly any other color is associated with a similar symbolic content, which is also reflected in our clothing habits. White is worn at religious celebrations such as baptism, communion or marriage. But the dress code is also white in everyday life – at work, for sports or at social events. In addition, white linen is closely linked to the history of hygiene and plays an important role in fashion as underwear.
Last but not least, it is also about the textile history of the region and the special importance of white textiles for Eastern Switzerland: The exhibition also takes a look at the artistically handcrafted whitework, which was an important source of income in Appenzell-Innerrhoden well into the 20th century . A stroll through the “white city” of St. Gallen will also be shown, whose rise to become an important textile location was closely linked to the fashion color right from the start.
In addition to the exhibition, there are various accompanying events as well as the installation GOLD _ Zimmer #0 by the artist Alessandra Beltrame in the lounge of the Textile Museum.
The show can be seen from March 3rd to September 10th, 2023 inclusive in the Textile Museum St.Gallen.