Double Take

Uncanniness with McQueen

This week in class we are discussing the uncanny. I feel it would be interesting to connect what is being discussed in class to the inspiration behind my blog, Alexander McQueen. The goal of each of his collections was to make the audience feel something and most of the time it was uncomfortableness.

* Trigger warning*

*There are some graphic themes and ideas discussed in this blog post *

His first collection, “Highland Rape” was a collision of dark themes and his roots. His goal was to comment on sexual violence and genocide. Through his show, he showcased scenes of sexual violence and people being maimed. 

His next collection, “It’s a Jungle out there”, dressed models to appear wild and animal-like. This left the audience feel uncomfortable about appearance and question the physical form of bodies. His inspiration was “a very specific reference to the way that he felt he was hunted down by the elite critics of the French fashion press.”

Collection No.13 had the goal of depicting serenity yet disturbingness. This was at the peak of technological advances. He wanted to demonstrate the concept of man and woman against the machine. This show created an iconic scene that is shown on my front page and above.

Voss created a peak in uncanny feelings by being set in a mental hospital. He told the story of the fashion industry and highlighted the horrible treatment models received. During the show, the audience was sat in a room of mirrors and the show started late forcing them to stare at themselves. The conclusion of the show was a glass box shattering and within the box laid an overweight woman with a gas mask on and surrounded by moths. His ideas steamed from how he felt caged into producing what Givenchy wanted him to produce and not his true designs.

All of the shows’ aim was to produce feelings of discomfort and in turn uncanniness. With such a talented and artistic mind came pain and torment which he wanted his consumers to experience a glimpse of through his shows and work.

How to Morph 101: A guide to plastic surgery with Bella Hadid

Growing up I have had fairly easy access to cosmetic procedures. Ranging from facials and dermatologists appointments to plastic surgery. Plastic surgery has become a part of aging “gracefully”. However, I have recently been seeing young women use cosmetic procedures to subtly alter their faces. It starts with preventative botox and leads to nose jobs and breast augmentations. The key to these alterations is that they are done over time and the changes are nearly undetectable. 

A good example of this is Bella Hadid. She was and still is absolutely gorgeous but she has changed her whole face. In this blog post, I feel it would be interesting to track her cosmetic procedures and compare her before and after at the end. An important note to make is she denies having any procedures done. 

Starting in 2010, Bella is seen with dark hair, she dyed it to separate herself from her already famous sister Gigi. She has a very distinct nose, face, and eye shape. She is only fourteen and as you age your face can change as well. 

In 2013, at the age of sixteen, not much has changed but she appears more mature than most teenagers. The main alteration is her lips seem more defined and plump. 

At seventeen, the bump on the bridge of her nose has disappeared and the bridge itself is flatter, and her top lip is more prominent than her bottom lip which is not normal. 

In 2016, she has morphed closer to her current face. Her lips are fuller, the bridge of her nose is flatter, the tip of her nose is bonier and her cheekbones are more pronounced. 

In 2017, her face appeared exceedingly different. There is speculation that she started using more filler in her cheeks and jawline. Along with this, she looks to have gotten a brow lift to pull her entire face up and back. 

From 2018 to 2021, the facial features she began altering in 2013 have become more defined and crisp. Her appearance has taken on a more narrow, catlike, and feminine appearance.

Looking at images of Bella from 2010 to 2021, her appearance has changed greatly. She doesn’t really look like herself. There are shadows and influences of who she was before almost like a ghost but she appears to have shed her original form. This brings up the question of whether she felt like she needed to make those changes to be accepted. If I ever got the chance to ask her any question I would ask if she feels like a different person on the inside, in terms of her personality and identity, after she has changed her outward appearance. 

I can definitely admit that my face has changed with age but as seen above, the changes Bella has made are drastic. It is difficult to say if I was given the opportunity and resources to alter my insecurities I would say no. However, I would always make sure to stay on the side of enhancement, not alteration.

Sources

Villett, Michelle. “Bella Hadid, Before and After.” The Skincare Edit, The Skincare Edit, 18 Jan. 2021, theskincareedit.com/bella-hadid-before-and-after.

The Met Gala: Doubled in Time

As some may know, last night was the Met Gala. Admittedly I got a little distracted and put my reading on pause. I am always excited before because the anticipation of the creativity of the event is something I look forward to. Usually, after the red carpet, I am left disappointed due to the lack of risks and adherence to the theme. The theme this year was In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. I did not understand the theme but after doing some research the theme’s inspiration was the renaissance that American fashion is going through thanks to young designers. I was disappointed instead of making social or political assertions about America, most designers chose to draw inspiration from old Hollywood. On top of that, none of the designers I felt were emerging or paving the way to change. But truthfully, who am I to judge.

Emily Ratajkowski wore a gorgeous dress designed by Vera Wang. Her dress was inspired by her red wedding collection. The first time I heard of Vera Wang was in the movie Bride Wars. A particular line from the film was “You don’t alter Vera to fit you, you alter yourself to fit Vera”. Look back that is a problematic statement but that is for another time. Her outfit was double inspired by previous designed and pulled out of the past and plopped into the present.

Kendall Jenner drew inspiration from Audrey Hepburn. She was one of the few who hit the nail on the head. Also in my opinion she topped her previous year’s dress. Much like with Emily, Kendall pulled inspiration from the past and doubled it for her design.

AOC, I do not feel has any apparent doubles but I just wanted to mention her because I love and I feel like she went with the theme and commented on a very real political issue in America.

The Met Gala is an event I have looked forward to for two years. Everyone looked beautiful and those who fit the theme hit it out of the park. To play with the idea of the doubles, I would love to see an old theme of the Met Gala repeated and see how much different or similar the designs would be.