In fashion, perception is everything; its not just about how you look, but how the world looks at you. While beauty is the prerogative of success in fashion, its canons evolve continuously, and people who usually leave a mark – the true fashion icons – are not only beautiful but inspirational in so many different ways: for their style, charisma, approach to life. Even though, today, the term transcended its origin, there are some women who will remain a classic and revolutionary influence, deign of carrying that status. While it may be obvious to think that designers would only look for a muse in models, they have always been keen on looking outside their window, asking questions about what is happening in the world and what may be the best way to imprint on this.
Style icon can often serve as a medium to reach out to society and communicate a desinger’s work, no matter the time or place. An example can be found in timeless French icon Brigitte Bardot, who will forever be remembered as the woman of the khol-rimmed eyes and messy voluminous blonde hair. The effortlessness of “the Bardot look” was something many women aspired to achieve. However the look isn’t limited to a beauty regimen. “Rivera chic” was a term coined thanks to Brigitte Bardot: Stripes, cropped pants, a bikini paired with a slightly bronzed skin were all key pieces to look right at the Riviera. She also introduced the ballet-flat to the public: as she was a trained ballerina, Bardot asked shoe maker Rose Repetto to make her an everyday shoe that was as easy to wear as a ballet slipper, showcasing the power and influence that a style icon of her time can have on the wider social sphere.
The role of a style icon is tied to the fact that the public is in constant need to identify with or aspire to someone. In the feminist era of the 1960s, a bold female personality like Bardot was an understandable model to look up to. She was in control of her own sexuality, thoughts and, notably, style; the fashion industry couldn’t doll her up, but could give her a voice – a voice that still echoes decades later, as Ms. Bardot turns 80.
