Monday 7 April 2014

Letting fashion out of it's gilded cage and into the real world

Vogue Italia's April 2014 Issue

Vogue Italia's April 2014 Issue

VICE Magazine, There Will Be Blood 2012

VICE Magazine, There Will Be Blood 2012

VICE Magazine, There Will Be Blood 2012

VICE Magazine, There Will Be Blood 2012

VICE Magazine, There Will Be Blood 2012

This week in fashion news, there was quite the scandal over a certain Vogue cover. No not THAT cover  (I am sorry Kimye your 5 minutes is over), but Vogue Italia and their editorial spread, photographed by Steven Meisel. Entitled Horror Story, amidst the fine silks and next season's finest, it seemed to depict a scene of domestic violence. The over all reaction was that Fashion had no place to comment on issues such as violence against women. The Internet was outraged at Vogue Italia's editor Franca Sozzani, for even attempting to portray a real-life subject.
However what was more shocking to me was people's, perhaps, narrow-minded view that everything has a box and that is where it should remain. There is no room for mixing an idea as frivolous as fashion with that of real life issues and world problems. It is to say that fashion should be portrayed only in glamorous settings and around beautiful things.
I on the other hand find it thought provoking and I can't see what is so taboo about the whole thing. I for one am sick of some people considering those who either work in fashion or have an interest in fashion to be less intelligent, or to have a less valid profession than some let's say in the "real" world. Shunned as air headed and image obsessed, to say that Sozzani had no place in addressing Domestic Violence is to only reinforce these preconceived ideas.
VICE Magazine is another publication which has been deemed controversial for it's graphic and, according to some, out of place commentaries on real life. Take for instance the photo shoot above. Instantly shocking, the idea of portraying the female menstrual cycle was stepping over the line for some, but I say what is taboo about addressing something as natural as the female capacity to create life. Again the idea goes back stimulating the brain, to get us thinking rather just flicking from one pretty, seemingly perfect object to the next and in a society that is more obsessed than ever with the surface appearance, I say maybe we need a little provocation.

What are your thoughts?

2 comments:

  1. Wow. I'll have to check out that Vogue Italia. I remember when those VICE images came out. I absolutely loved it. Some of the most magical parts of life aren't pretty and that's so thought provoking. Thanks for the reminder!!

    xx Sarah
    Loser Girl Wins

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  2. Yup, that's definitely thought provoking and controversial to say the least! And I LOVE it. I love it when people have a point of view and aren't afraid to express it, I don't care if I agree with them or not, I just don't like those narrow-minded copycats with nothing to say. So bring on the tampons and murder!:D And we're definitely a society that needs TONS of provocation, but I'm afraid it would (and it does) get lost on so many ...

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