Michel Pastoureau wrote in his 2016 book, Red: The History of a Color βRed is the archetypal color, the first color humans mastered, fabricated, reproduced, and broke down into different shades β¦ This has given it primacy over all other colors through the millennia.β When used to colour womenβs lingerie, redβs poignant symbolism engages with societal perceptions of feminine sexuality and empowerment.