“We’re Watching”
Fashion is not only about inventive clothing and rock star designers, sometimes sheer personality eclipses fashion. Lupita Nyong’o is that current personality. If you don’t know her yet, your living under a rock, especially if you follow fashion. In the film world, Nyong’o has already won their top award. And now she is receiving fashion’s most coveted award–Vogue Cover Girl.
Lost: A Moment in Fashion History
It’s May, and spring is in the air. The flowers are blooming, fashionistas are waiting for fall collections to be released, and April’s Vogue Cover of Kim and Kanye is being used for mulch. Now that April showers have subsided and we’re all in a better mood, lets discuss what was lost in fashion’s most recent controversial moment.
Ms. Wintour
Dear Anna,
After years of trying to write you a letter, I thought I would put one on my blog. After watching you on the Colbert Report (Wednesday, May 9, 2012), I love you. Not only did you match wits with Stephen, you slammed his style, while supporting gay marriage. A proven professional, you never miss a beat.
What I love about Ms. Wintour is that her style is always consistent. Her signature bob haircut has become timeless, while her mid-calf length skirts, dresses, and… I don’t think I’ve seen her in pants? Her style has become synonymous with elegance, I confess: calf-length is my favourite skirt length.
Anna is one of the few magazine editors that has become, not only famous for her style and attitude, but like Simon Cowell, she has made mean cool–well, only when you know what you’re talking about. You have to love a women who knows how to state her opinion looking fabulous!
To be on top for over 20 years, takes not only guts, or a lust for power, but true love and passion. Anna has taken the fashion world and combined it with American spending power, which has turned American Vogue into the Bible of style. Not always the most ground breaking in editorial photography, Vogue is relatable to everyone. For me, a magazine can only dominate when it is based on replication, therefore a look can be achieved by the viewer. A great example is what I call mall pop-stars. Any major artist who breaks into the pop scene must have a look that can be bought at any local mall–Britney and Madonna’s debut albums. This is what creates relatable fashion and followers.
Vogue may give the most high-end look, but it is one that is achieved on many levels, from major fashion designers to Zara, looks can be repeated by way of emulation. This accessibility, I believe, is what has kept Wintour on top. You may not like her method or attitude, but you have to respect her dedication to fashion.
MC.
And the winner is…
I went to see Meryl Streep’s latest film last night, Iron Lady,the biopic about Margaret Thatcher, Great Britain’s first female Prime Minister. I am not a political analysis or film citric, so I won’t be discussing or reviewing the film on those merits, I am just a fashion lover. However, I will say Meryl Streep was amazing.
The costume selection was classic to Thatcher ‘s character, a balance of ladylike dressing and powerhouse feminist. Yet, behind clothing regalia was a story about a fearless woman, whose hand print has been left on a country, and an era. The film made me think about female role models in society, and the decision women make everyday between family, self, and fulfillment. With narrow archetypical roles for women, Meryl is cast as another ice villain (The Devil Wears Prada), but Streep’s portrayal humanized Thatcher flawlessly.
This is not a female empowerment movie, but a film about self-confidence and personal belief. What I took away from the film is to follow your dreams. We should all be so lucky to have a partner, parent, or friend who engorged us every step of the way. Someone who says to us “you can do it.” When I get dressed with consciousness I feel empowered, to know my decision about what I wear is to claim myself. There is a moment in the film when Thatcher’s father tells her not to follow that pack, hard words for a girl to hear, but I felt the strength in those words. When we allow others to represent us, we strip away our power: “Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another (Madonna, Justify My Love).”
Take a look at my video discussing my thoughts on Cindy Crawford’s daughter, Kaia in her Versace advertisement. Please leave me comments about your opinions and ideas about role models and power.
=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc5IiGNyc0M&feature=youtu.be]