For centuries now, black has been the main colour in fashion and costume. In the 15th century, the colour became popular at the court of Burgundy. The love for black clothing continued in the 16th century, under the influence of the strict and severe spanish court, and in the 17th century, black was admired in the beautiful baroque paintings of Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck and their peers. This book explores the use of black throughout the ages and investigates its place in contemporary fashion design, looking at the work of designers such as Yamamoto and Comme des garçons. Text in English & Dutch. AUTHOR: Paul Huvenne is the general director of the Royam Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He has organised exhibitions such as Anthony Van Dijck (1999), Fatal Women (2003) and Flemish Primitives (2007). Emmanuelle Dirix is liaised to the Winchester College and teaches costume history at the fashion department of the Antwerp Academy. Bruno Blondé is an historian at the centre for urban history at the Antwerp University. He specialises in research on material culture in the western world. 150 colour illustrations