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First the fashion chain Zara, now army barracks? It’s so hard not to be conspiratorial. Perhaps this is all prophesying the rise of an army of fascist fashionistas, who distract us with handbags and mesmerize us with falling hemlines as civilizations are razed in our name?
Oh wait. Never mind.
Okay, kinda.
Last night’s episode of So You Think You Can Dance (7.26) began with choreographer Mia Michaels apologizing for a jacket she had worn on the previous night’s episode. Apparently, it was a military jacket (USMC?), but with the insignias sewed on upside down.
Last month, I posted on some of the controversy surrounding Miss Mexico’s choice for her Miss Universe parade of nations gown. As you might recall, some found her gown politically tone-deaf in its depiction of scenes from the Cristero War, crazy in its inclusion of a band of bullets as its main accessory, and simply tiresome in its relative tackiness– especially during a time when various kinds of violences are spiraling out of control across Mexico. Now it seems that her dress has been changed. Since I’m not really into hanged martyrs, but totally into corn, I should take this change as positive, no?
Let’s have a look at Miss Mexico, v. 2!
Coincidentally, after my random in-class rant on nationalism and the Miss Universe contest, I came across this article at the BBC. It’s about Miss Mexico’s gown choice for this year’s Miss Universe pageant, which will be held May 28th in Mexico City. The gown was selected for Rosa Maria Ojeda Cuen from a field of thirty other dresses, and was admired because the selection committee “wanted a dress that made you think of Mexico.” Hector Terrones, who served on the selection committee, apparently also explained to La Jornada that “The design should grab people’s attention and have impact without giving too much information.” But critics, like La Jornada columnist Jorge Camil, vehemently disagree on the dress’ ‘message,’ claiming that:
It would be like Miss USA wearing a dress showing images of the Ku Klux Klan in the Deep South. [...] A beauty contest is very far from being the right
place to vent political and religious ideologies.
Oh my! Let’s have a look at this dress…