The Underpinnings Museum at Oxford Conference Of Corsetry. Photographed by Tigz Rice Studios 2017.
The Underpinnings Museum presents Incendiary: A History of Red Lingerie, a free digital exhibition examining the fashionability and societal perceptions of the colour red in European and American women’s lingerie, coming this February 14th. Utilising the Underpinnings Museum’s free and accessible digital collection, guest curator Summer Lee has traced the history and symbolism of red lingerie, and its journey from commonplace to coquettish; saucy to sexy; and finally into a catalyst for self-confidence and empowerment.
The exhibition is categorised into sections “Antique Red,” “Siren Red,” and “Power Red,” with spectacular museum pieces dating from the 1860s to 2017. It concludes with a gallery titled “Red Right Now,” highlighting 10 social media influencers who share their exclusive thoughts and lived experiences with red lingerie. Some features of the exhibition include:
- Five nineteenth-century corsets from the museum’s collection;
- Complexities of red lingerie during the Victorian Era, which was seen as practical for some undergarments (like crinolines) but unladylike, vain, and lacking in virtue for others (like corsets);
- An explosion of red foundation garments during the post-war period with shade names such as red pepper, siren, and “torero”;
- Mid-twentieth-century Merry Widows, half-slips, and a risqué red quarter-cup bra;
- How red lingerie has developed more romantic and seductive associations since the sexual liberation movement, gaining a reputation for being “sexy,” “red-hot,” “smouldering,” and “incendiary”;
- A 1990s red satin and lace corset by Agent Provocateur and eleven garments created during the 2010s by independent corsetières and designers such as Dita Von Teese, La Perla Black Label, and Marika Vera;
- Discussion of how lingerie creators and consumers are reframing red lingerie’s associations with the male gaze and heteronormative sexuality.
