The Phenicien Carthaginian Purple Industry and Contemporary Design: An Intersection between Cultural Heritage, Sustainability and Creativity

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-458-7_4How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Carthaginian Purple Industry; Cultural Heritage; Sustainability; Creativity

Abstract

Fashion and cultural heritage play an essential role in preserving traditional skills and indigenous knowledge. In a context of globalisation, these aspects become vectors of transcultural creativity, particularly in interdisciplinary design projects. This summary examines how industry and the purple colour of the Carthaginians influence contemporary designers in various creative fields, while exploring the impact of sustainability and art on these practices. The methodological approach of this study is based on a qualitative analysis of the creative and craft practices of the Carthaginians, in particular their purple colour industry. An exploration of historical and cultural references was used to identify elements of traditional know-how. Next, an analysis of the work of designers in the fields of fashion, graphic design and product design will be interpreted to understand how the crimson industry influences their creations. The results show that the Carthaginian purple industry, a symbol of power and prestige, is a major inspiration for contemporary designers. This rare pigment, extracted from molluscs, was once used to dye the clothes of the elite. Today, it is being reinterpreted in design projects, underlining the importance of sustainability and respect for natural resources. The designers interviewed highlighted the influence of the colour’s cultural symbolism, as well as its aesthetic appeal in sectors such as fashion, interior design and graphics. This research reveals that the intersection of art, sustainability and design can act as a catalyst to revive craft traditions, while offering endless creative possibilities. Designers are drawing on Carthaginian heritage to develop innovative creations, adoping practices that are more respectful of the environment. In this way, traditional craftsmanship becomes a source of inspiration for contemporary creation, linking past and present.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Houda Kohli Kallel
AU  - Soumaya Gharsallah Falhi
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/08/30
TI  - The Phenicien Carthaginian Purple Industry and Contemporary Design: An Intersection between Cultural Heritage, Sustainability and Creativity
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 International Conference on Global Cultural and Creative Industries (ICGCCI 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 67
EP  - 93
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-458-7_4
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-458-7_4
ID  - Kallel2025
ER  -