Frida Fashionista!

One of my favorite birthday presents was a book from Graham called Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress. It consists of photographs of the newly unearthed treasure trove of the artist Frida Kahlo's wardrobe. I have long loved both the work and image of Frida Kahlo. I thought there was nothing more to be learned about this well charted artist--man, was I wrong.

It's obvious from the many photographs and self-portrait paintings that she had a unique and artistic sense of style, born from both a deep political love of her country Mexico and an artistic flair. Although I'd seen some color photographs of her (like the one above) I was NOT prepared for the glimpse of her that all these GORGEOUS garments create. Holy crap! She was an artist of paint and in fashion.

Look at these TOTALLY PUNK ROCK Chinese boots she wore :
Graham saw them and refused to believe for a moment that someone hadn't punked them up for her after the fact. As much as I love punk rock, my response was, "Honey, they didn't start the fire--maybe Frida did." I want a pair of these more than I can say.

All of these garments were discovered after a room in her house was unsealed on the 50th anniversary of her death. Her husband Diego Rivera had asked this room be sealed for 50 years and nobody knew what lay in wait. As it turns out, mountains and mountains of SKIRTS:
She wore long skirts to cover her ill matched legs from her childhood bout with polio. She MORE than worked the skirt. These pictured above are only a FEW pictured in this gorgeous book.

Her collection of silk Mexican blouses of red and blue and green and gold are mouth watering. The curators of the book did a wonderful job placing specific garments with specific paintings she made of herself and photographs. She had magnificent taste in color and style.
She often wore humongous flowers in her hair and I can only imagine now--seeing the real garments themselves--how utterly STRIKING she must have been in any room. She must have stopped people in their tracks.

I can only imagine what such a wardrobe would cost now, but this book inspires me so much in its color and history and sense that fashion is an expression of artistry and the self. She is iconic for a reason--no one created Frida. Frida always created herself.