brief note on Oscar/red carpet fashion

[anotheranon]

I don't usually watch the Oscars, which may be surprising given my fashion nerdery - wouldn't I WANT to see all the celebs in their fantastic gowns?

And yeah - I love a pretty dress as much as anyone else who cares about such things, but one after another perfect porcelain beauty gets really dull. Short version: A lot of what La Garconniere says about the catty fashion-policing of any woman who doesn't fit a very narrow definition of on-trend, mainstream beauty resonates with me, as much for aesthetic reasons as social/feminist/political ones.

Growing up in the shoulder-padded, acid washed jeans suburban fashion wasteland, I fantasized about a fashion world that encouraged expression and exploration, clothes as toys instead of rigorous enforcers of normality. Working retail kind of shattered that illusion, as retailers are in the business of making money, and selling a safe definition is easier than selling endless options.

As relief, I leave you with On This Day in Fashion's Rachel’s Top-10 “F*ck It” Oscar Outfits. Again, love 'em or 'hate 'em, Diane Keaton's real-life Annie Hall and Bjork's "swan dress" are a welcome change from unrelenting, unchallenging perfection.

Comments

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

That's another thing that intrigued me about the La Garconniere post above: I knew that Hollywood stars employed stylists, but thought the stylists were hired by stars to help them do what they were already doing better, instead of craft an industry/public friendly image. As I type that I realize how naive it is; so much of what celebrities do is careful media manipulation so it shouldn't be surprising that what they wear is is carefully crafted as well.