“Remember - twenty percent of women have inferiority complexes. Seventy percent have illusions.” My mind has been repeating like a mantra Elsa Schiaparelli’s fourth fashion commandment since yesterday, when I stumbled upon the umpteenth interview with style guru Gok Wan. The piece, published by the Times was written in a rather annoying and immature style. Imagine reading an interview with a boy band by a love struck 14-year-old girl and you get an idea. After reading the first paragraph of the feature I wondered if I’m the only woman who hates all these “how to” programmes you get on British television in which a supposedly fashionable expert restyles an insecure loser.
Though a few men appeared in this sort of programmes, women are the main protagonists and audience of this pile of crap. It’s amazing how every TV channel in the UK seems to have its own how-to-look-like/makeover programme: there’s fashion fascists Trinny and Susannah who, despite their efforts, end up putting on everyone the same horrid print dresses with an empire line that strategically hides unaesthetic belly bulges; there's Nicky Hambleton-Jones who performs plastic surgery on everything that remotely moves and then Gok Wan who basically drowns his own fears and anxieties in the tears of the same women he encourages to be braver and stronger. Well, you could argue that at least he doesn’t suggest women to go for Botox treatment, which can be considered as a huge step forward for humanity. Yet how can he be considered as the epitome of women empowerment? How come that modern women need a boost of confidence from him or from anybody? Why aren’t women rejecting all this crap that gets thrown up at them and scream back in anger “We don’t need you to tell us that we’re beautiful and, above all, to tell us what to wear”?
In the 20th century women seemed to be more unfettered by fear of failure or mockery than they are now, they were probably more ready to defy the conventions of their time to live the lives they wanted. Look at publisher, writer and anarchist Nancy Cunard or at fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli: they weren't probably conventional beauties, but that didn't stop them from being portrayed as powerful icons of style by some of the most famous photographers of their times.
Maybe those women who lived in the previous century were leading a far more revolutionary life than we are now, as we seem too afraid of even moving if somebody doesn’t reassure us about our look, hairstyle, skin and weight. Which makes me think about Elsa Schiaparelli’s ironical 12 commandments, all directed at women, at what they should buy and at how they should buy it. My favourite commandments remain the first, “Since most women do not know themselves they should try to do so,” and the fifth, “Ninety percent are afraid of being conspicuous, and of what people will say. So they buy a grey suit. They should dare to be different.” The former is based on Socrates’ famous injunction, ‘Gnothi se auton’ (‘Know thyself’), and suggests self-analysis and self-criticism; the latter is a call for a much needed dose of originality and for pushing personal boundaries. But sometimes to push these boundaries you need role models and inspirations.
Maybe there is a lack of inspirations for nowadays' women to look at, maybe we have buried positive female role models in our consciences, thinking women made of plastic such as Donatella Versace or flamboyant and fragile icons such as Gok Wan are feasible role models. Who knows. If you fancy pondering a bit on this issue, and reflect on contemporary women and empowerment, check out ‘The Phenomenology of the Body’, a video directed by Daphne Guinness.
The video - that will be showcased during Paris Couture Week - features 13 historical female figures and roles, among them Eve, Joan of Arc, Marie Antoinette, a flapper girl, a housewife and a woman in a red burka, filmed as they rotate on a spinning platform. LCD Soundsystem’s “Great Release” plays in the background as the camera lingers on the dresses that define the different women and characterise their roles, hinting at how particular fashions trapped, restricted, constricted or liberated them.
The video might not be an entirely new idea, nor is a true masterpiece, but at least Guinness tried to approach the theme of women from an interesting perspective. Who knows, maybe women will see the light soon and free themselves from their strange addiction for makeover programmes. Sadly, though, I don’t think this will happen before Gok Wan’s next TV series comes out, his next book becomes a best seller and more ridiculous women profess they will be his “Gokettes” (dear oh dear) forever. Now, where did I put my battered copy of Nancy Cunard's biography?
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