Kassia St. Clair

Every colour tells a story: mysterious, fashionable, deadly, outré, groundbreaking, repellant, mutinous and even murderous… The Secret Lives of Colour recounts 100 such tales in vivid detail. Which one sticks with you? For me, it’s the story of mummy brown… #designhistory #history #colour #culturalhistory #color #colourfulhistory #colorfulhistory #historygram #writersofinstagram #secretlivesofcolour #booksbooksbooks #booksbooksandmorebooks

🖌️✂️🔧 A very useful reading guide. It should be noted that if there really is an intruder, it’s worth grabbing the hardback editions. Also, LIBERTY weighs nearly 2kg so it’s basically a weapon in its own right. You’re welcome. #readingguide #whatshouldireadnext #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #writer #history #historygram

👩🏻‍💻 Allow me to introduce myself, sort of. Scroll through for some on-brand and off-beat things about me, from a few favourite books to a very ill-advised work email (in my defence, their personality was a tough sell). ✨What would your on-brand, off-brand picks be?✨Extra points for wildcard dinner party guests

The most coveted colour in the ancient world came from a sea snail that smelled like garlic and cost more than gold. 250,000 snails to make one ounce of dye and workshops had to be built outside city limits because the smell was unbearable. A woman spotted wearing the wrong shade at a recital was dragged from the room by Nero’s guards and stripped of her property. What made it worth all of that wasn’t just the difficulty. Every other ancient dye degraded in sunlight but Tyrian purple deepened. Its permanence was the actual luxury. When Constantinople fell in 1453 the knowledge disappeared with the empire. The snails were saved from extinction almost by accident. Part of The Goddess Project. I’ll also be doing a deep dive on this for my podcast The Culture of Cloth 🔗 link in bio. Cover image: Rex Harrison as Julius Caesar in Cleopatra (1963). Quotes from Kassia St Clair, The Secret Lives of Colour, used with her kind permission.

✨ the wisdom of the ancients ✨ I came across this all-natural, chemical free eye salve while researching my next book and didn’t have it in me to gate keep. You’re welcome. 🐍👁️ #culturalhistory #medicalhistory #plinytheelder #soreeyes #writer

Step into the stories, science, and strategy behind the colors that shape our world. 🎨 We’re honored to feature Leatrice Eiseman and Kassia St. Clair as part of our exceptional panelist lineup for The World Of Color at KANEKO on Saturday, April 11. Leatrice Eiseman, often referred to as the “international color guru,” is a leading authority in color communication and a longtime consultant to Pantone. As Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, she has guided global brands in making impactful color choices across fashion, design, and product development, while also forecasting trends that influence industries worldwide. She’s also a prolific author and sought-after speaker on the psychology and power of color. Kassia St. Clair is an acclaimed author and one of the UK’s best-selling historians under 40, known for bringing the hidden stories of everyday life vividly to the surface. Her bestselling book The Secret Lives of Colour has captivated readers around the world, blending rich historical detail with engaging storytelling that transforms how we think about the colors that surround us. It’s also a favorite of Ree Kaneko (one of the founders of KANEKO), who often raves about the book — making Kassia’s presence at this event even more special. Join us for an inspiring evening exploring how color influences everything — from what we see to what we feel. For more information visit thekaneko.org or click the link in our bio. #ColorTheory #DesignInspiration #CreativeCommunity

💌 NEWSLETTER: FEBRUARY 2026 💌 This month learn why Agatha Christie, who murdered 41 of her characters with poison, credited her writing career to her lack of education. Plus: a surrealist decanter, London’s tube map, the story behind an iconic photo and the best winter Olympic uniforms #design #designhistory #writercommunity #newsletter

‘The Secret Lives of Colour’ 🔴🟣🟡🟢🔵🟠 by @kassiastclair tells the unusual stories of the 75 most fascinating shades, dyes and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso’s blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history. Find it in our non-fiction section. #counterprintbooks #kassiastclair #secretlivesofcolour #colour #color

Una recomendación que siempre viene bien! Comparte! 🎨💕 Aprovecho de comentar que quedan oficialmente 42 unidades de mi libro, y que mañana cierro los cupos para COLOR EXPERTO (quedan solo 6). #color #coloeimetria #arte #diseño #moda

Haven’t felt much like posting recently - a new project, the weather, the news, dear god the news… - but I came across some vituperous 19th-century literary feuds that really perked me up. Enjoy these out of context SwinBURNS 🔥 I should add that Swinburne’s comment about Emerson was in response to something the latter had said about him in newspaper interview in 1874, which I think it’s probably unwise to post here… #books #bookish #literaryfeud #swinburne #history

The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St. Clair, 2016 + New Edition: 25 New Colours, 2025 Kassia St. Clair’s The Secret Lives of Colour is a masterclass in the stories behind the world’s most compelling hues. The first edition traced the histories, cultural significance and unexpected narratives of over 75 shades, revealing the subtle power of colour in art, design and society. The new edition introduces 25 additional colours, each explored with the same careful research and lyrical insight. St. Clair’s work goes beyond a reference; it is a sophisticated meditation on colour as a living, historical and cultural force, essential reading for artists, designers and anyone passionate about colour. The Colour Club has a carefully curated colour book collection, from rare finds and limited editions to the most recent releases. Visit our website to join The Colour Residency, access rare and inspiring colour works from our archive. #thecolourclub #kassiastclair #thesecretlivesofcolour #colour

Blue monday is blue. Trovate la storia del blu dentro "Atlante sentimentali dei colori" di Kassia St Clair (@kassiastclair ), tradotto da Claudia Durastanti (@claudia.durastanti ).