I have written a bit on how ribbons went from being youthful fashion to something worn at best by village school girls-though a lot more can be said on the subject. Indian readers of a certain age will no doubt be aware of these ribbons for schoolgirls – in shades of red, white ad black and strung from a hawker’s pole which also displayed other merchandise.

Jiaur Rahman‘s red ribbon series (~2007-2008) captures these ribbons perfectly.