I Like Socks

I was one of several folks totally panting for the menswear in Alexander McQueen’s F2009 show.  And while the clothes are made of yes and form an interesting contrast to other things we’re seeing, it was the make-up that got my brain clicking.

The red ringing beneath the eyes, set off by that winter pallor?  Absolutely villainous and surprisingly a long standing part of my eye make-up rotation.  Also totally something that most people cover up and don’t do on purpose.

In Feburary’s W, there’s a short piece on Ellis Faas, with a quote that brought it all together for me.

“Why not take the purple in a bruise and use it as an eye colour?  It’s a very natural thing to do.”

Faas, a former special effects artist with lots of bruises and cuts under her belt, calls it “Human Colours“.  I think it’s, like, a beautiful circle (though it’s probably more of a hearkening to something quite different) that on the front page there’s an image with the same under-eye red seen on McQueen’s runway.

Make-up traditionally covers up and/or distracts from that what you don’t want shown, emphasises that which you do.  In the expanding culture of coolness—where you can buy things that make it look like you spent time and pain under the tattooist’s needle or dedication in stretching your piercings—make-up like Shiner (one of the many soc-cultural gems in Spike’s Templar, Arizona) doesn’t seem too out of line.  We’re wanting to emphasise something different.

I know my paltry collection of colour, in bruised purples and blues, sallow yellows and lip tone nudes already align with the idea of “Human Colour”, despite my originally buying them for their brightness and darkness.  Now I just need to play with it more.  Nothing however, will tear me away from my red.

This will not be a place to daily keep on top of the thrusting, throbbing heartbeat of fashion.  I am not that hip.  All I can give you are hyper-linked looks at the branching of visual and cultural themes across fashion and other things we put on ourselves.

I did not graduate from The College, so don’t expect much in the way of deep thoughts that are backed by solid sociological and anthropological study.  Anyway, I don’t want to explain things, only point things out to others, so their brains can get on it too.  Let’s be in awe of the human animal and the way it chooses to drape itself.  Let’s be annoyed at treacly tropes repeated.  Let’s look at pretty pictures.

Oh do let’s!

I know, right?  Another fashion blog.

Just you wait.