Simply Chic! Oh La La!

Devil wears club Monaco...

After reading the slightly entertaining, gossipy self-righteous (not ridiculously wonderful) book Devil wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, and then watching the wonderfully entertaining film, screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, I have to say I had a very good time. (I love you Meryl!!!) But I left feeling strange.

Like many, who are probably ashamed to admit it, I can kind of relate to the Miranda Priestly character. I am often very demanding, I am at times very irritable anything from gum chewing, loud eating, bad smells, whispering (when I'm not part of the conversation), people staring at me on the train, the TV being audible when I'm trying to sleep in another room, slow moving people, etc etc are all some of the many things that can make me lose it!

I laughed when Miranda walked into the hotel room and said, "Do I smell Freesia because if there are Freesia's here I'm going to be very disappointed". That line is not in the book and just days before I saw the film I was complaining to a co-worker that I despised the smell of Freesia, (this same co-worker often tells me that I'm irritable and demanding because I have too much time on my hands.) And even though I found the book version of Miranda Priestly character horrible, ugly and without depth or motivation, as I watched the Meryl Streep version of the character I couldn't completely despise her, because I recognized some of myself in her.  I enjoyed that character.

I wonder, could some one write a book about me called Devil wears Club Monaco? Couldn't we all have a sensationalized book about us written by someone refusing to look beyond the bad attitude to what drives that bad attitude? Then again maybe a bad attitude is simply a bad attitude. And why hasn't there ever been a book called Devil wears Hugo Boss? Donald Trump brings in huge ratings for being an ego driven business man (even though I am a fan of the Donald) yet Martha Stewart is vilified, especially by other women (in spite of this I respect Martha Stewart's Business Savvy, unerring eye for home and lifestyle beauty, and her "Try and destroy me. I'll just come back 10 times harder" attitude). 

Regarding the portrayal of American Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour's supposed tyrannical type attitude, I will say, no one likes to deal with angry, inconsiderate people who have the power to control your livelihood and enough time on their hands and venom to make it a living hell, but don't we all have bad sides about us? And is what people say always the truth about who we really are, especially when they may be vying for your position. It's impossible for everyone to like you. Even Oprah has haters, and look how much good she does. It's so difficult to be a women who is driven, ambitious and real. So many starlets, business women and women in general put on the fake "happy go Lucky" attitude or "I'm such a diva" attitude but it often seems fake. I admire the Meryl Streep version of Miranda Priestly because I understood her motivations, her rawness and some of her actions, and as she proved in the end she was irreplaceable. I have a feeling the Meryl Streep version probably reflects Anna Wintour more then the one-dimensional sensationalized book version, because no matter what anyone says Wintour is what makes Vogue Vogue. 

Why is beauty so powerful?

  Last night, I could not sleep. As I restlessly flicked through the channels looking for something to watch I came across the 1998 HBO bio pic Gia, (starring Angelina Jolie), based on the glamorous yet tragic life of one of the worlds first super models, Gia Carangi . I've wanted to see the movie for quite some time.

The movie quickly takes us from Gia's early days as a wild Philadelphia teenager to her famous (and infamous) New York debut in which she became an instant fashion sensation. During her short but high voltage modeling career Gia graced all the most highly coveted magazines including Vogue and Cosmopolitan. She's been credited for many things, one was waving in the "ethnic" look, (along with the self-proclaimed "first supermodel" Janice Dickinson), her simmering dark features bulldozed over the "all American" blond beauties that dominated the fashion scene at the time. Cindy Crawford, nicknamed Baby Gia, due to her likeness to the stunner, may not have attained her supermodel status if  it had not been for this fearless trailblazer. Gia was also very uninhibited, often posing nude and indulging in love affairs with women and some men. Unfortunately, Gia was also credited for bringing in the first wave of Heroin Chic, due to her drug addiction.

Gia was a ball of  beautiful trouble from the minute she walked into the offices of Wilhelmina models, carving her initials into the receptionist desk with a switch blade, but her stunning beauty, incredible body and unpredictable aura made it impossible for legendary agent Wilhelmina Cooper to turn her down. During the late 70's in which she reigned, excesses with drug and alcohol were common and even chic, (today drugs are just as prevalent but much less chic). As I watched the film I was saddened by the fact that her beauty was desired so badly by the fashion industry that designers, agents and make-up artists simply turned a blind eye to her addictions. Once her addictions grew uncontrollable they discarded her.  Models to follow learned they had to be more discreet about their drug addictions. Many began using tricks such as shooting up under ones toe nails, so that needle tracks would not give them away.

Gia died of Aids related complications in 1986 (considered one of the first women to die of Aids in the U.S.) When she died she was 26 years old and penniless despite being one of the most successful models of her time. What a stark contrast compared to the latest supermodel drug scandal involving Kate Moss.  Kate Moss has become even more A-List since her drug scandal, continuing to bring in lucrative modeling contracts. Where Gia was spoiled, exploited and discarded. Kate Moss is celebrated, forgiven and rewarded.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe models and celebrities should be perfect (it is not fair to expect that of them). We may put them on pedestals but they have the right to live life as they choose. But it does make me realize how times have changed and how incredibly powerful beauty still is in our world.

If Gia had not been so gorgeous, her rage, drug addiction and unpredictability would not have been tolerated in any high paying profession let alone the fashion world. Her antics are usually saved until after one becomes famous, not right out of the gate, but then again Gia lived life fiercely raw, honest and fearless to a fault. Was Gia's beauty ultimately a curse? Or would she had found herself along the same destructive path even if she had not become a supermodel?

I don't know. But what I do know is when someone is so beautiful no one really cares to know what pain rages inside them because that would force us to look past the physical, and we live in a world that rarely values anything past the physical. Image still reigns supreme and as long as the photograph translates beauty the reality, for some, means little.

Written by Chaka V.

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