Long ago, blue was restrictedly reserved for royalty, partly due to the complex process necessary to achieve what was once a "rare" colour. But with time and the Industrial Revolution, it was democratized and now enjoys universal popularity. Some samples of its popularity can be seen in spring 2006 collections from Libertine, Afshin Feiz, Lela Rose, Gottex, and the cute baby blue babydoll shift dress from Cynthia Rowley. Blue is represented in this exhibition by historical costumes featuring royal blue, deep indigo blue and vivid purple (the KCI's English Mantua dress, c. 1740s–1750s).

Focusing on the 18th century, the Red and Yellow sections examine the relationship between colour and international trade, especially the ancient China dye trade and the voyages of explorations that led to the discovery of new dyes and colour techniques. A bright yellow English robe à la française gown from the 1760s in silk taffeta and Junya Watanabe's 2000 red and yellow jacket and skirt ensemble best exemplify the process we have made on this front and are excellent barometers of how our yearning for self-expression and personal taste has driven our love colour in general.

The final section of the exhibition is devoted to the color White, which has long been seen as a symbol of purity, innocence and hope in the west and a colour of mourning in the east. The dresses on view include a gauzy and ethereal white flapper-style dress by Coco Chanel from 1926 and a wedding dress (inspired by a nun's habit—how ironic is that?) by Madame Vionnet from the 1930s.

The Smithsonian's Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum, is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design, presenting perspectives on the impact of design on daily life through active educational programmes, exhibitions and publications. Founded in 1897 by Amy, Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt—granddaughters of industrialist Peter Cooper—as part of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, it became a part of the Smithsonian's portfolio of national museums in 1967, and has holdings encompassing one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of design work in existence, tracing the history of design through more than 250,000 objects spanning 24 centuries, from the Han Dynasty (200 BC) to the present.

The Kyoto Costume Institute, founded in 1978 by charter from the Agency for Cultural Affaires, is the only institution in Japan that specializes in the study of western fashion and engages audiences worldwide through its exhibitions and publications on fashion. It recognizes and appreciates the fashionable clothing are beautiful pieces of art as well as examples of fine craftsmanship, and acknowledges the merit of studying clothing in order to see how fashion will evolve in the future. Since its establishment, KCI has worked to deconstruct the conventional framework of fashion and has contributed ground-breaking scholarship in the field through its five full-scale exhibitions in the last 25 years, including Japonism in Fashion (1994, covered a few years ago in Lucire), a scientific approach that examined the influence of Japanese culture on western fashion and Japonism in the broader sense.

Fashion in Colors will be curated by the Kyoto Costume Institute's Chief Curator, Akiko Fukai and Cooper-Hewitt's Curatorial Director Barbara Bloemink, with illumination design by Leni Schwendinger Light Projects Ltd. and exhibition design and signage by Tsang Seymour Design. It will be accompanied by a full-colour exhibition catalogue published by Assouline, featuring photography of the fashion on view, with essays by Mr Fukai, Ms Bloemink, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Lourdes Font, Claude Imbert, Yasuo Kobayashi and Dominique Cardon. •

Phillip Johnson is features' editor for Lucire.

TOP LEFT, INSET: Cynthia Rowley spring 2006. FAR LEFT: Robe à la française, England, c. 1760. TOP: Mantua silk taffeta brocade dress, England, c. 1740s–1750s. ABOVE: Libertine, spring 2006. LEFT: Afshin Feiz, spring 2006. BELOW: Junya Watanabe jacket and skirt, 2000.