ENTRY THREE

THE RELEVANCY OF EMMA WATSON'S PERSONAL STYLE

The dawn of the new millennium bore witness to a change in perception of a celebrity's personal style. There was a time when a celebrity's style was a result of an enigmatic process that remained undisclosed and undiscussed, for the most part . There was this overwhelming need for them to appear effortless. In order to get good press, celebrities needed to look like they were the sole orchestrators of a perfectly photographed moment and that, they thought of that perfect dress and that, they chose that perfect hair and makeup.

Times have changed and so have our understanding of how a celebrity should look and feel like. With the somewhat, simultaneous advent of social media and reality television, a celebrity is no longer an individual celebrated for their 'exceptionalism'. We have reached a buffer point, where the traditional idea of a celebrity has been discarded. Now, we also celebrate individuals for their 'everydayness' and for a mind-numbing form of modern ubiquity, where they record and share every living and breathing moment of their lives, to much applause and fanfare.

The positive thing about this change is that, professionals like stylists and makeup artists who in the past were often relegated, (perhaps, with the exception of legends like Kevyn Aucoin) to exist only, behind the scenes, are finally getting their share of the spotlight. Today, they are able to amass large followings on social media websites, by creating profitable businesses rooted in capitalising on their clientele and by sharing their vast knowledge and expertise. On the flip side, it could be argued that the overexposure has propelled a domino effect where one's inspiration and reference are easily distinguished and traced.

Of course, it could be argued that this is how the industry always functioned and that, fashion is inherently about recycling trends but think about it. When was the last time, you saw an image or a style that actually felt fresh and authentic, without you being able to immediately trace it back to the Instagram feeds of a Kardashian or a Lopez or a Gomez. The pace in which we are exposed to images and a possibly recycled 'new' trend is so intense that often, we feel fatigued and fashion starts becoming exhausting. Even stylists and creators that were able to anticipate and set our moods before hand, seem inconsequential now, as they grapple with their new found fame and relevance as boomers, in a millennial and Gen-Z world.

This is perhaps, where a celebrity like Emma Watson can occupy a space and direct us towards a fresher and more authentic brand of fashion. Now, Emma is not the most outrageously fashionable celebrity out there. Instead, she signifies a quieter and more minimalistic personification of English beauty. In a crowd of try-hard celebrities, she might even go unnoticed but if you delve deeper into her sustainable practices and how consciously she approaches red-carpet dressing, you'll understand her charm, her understated elegance and her quiet radicalism.

The press tour for her movie 'Beauty and the beast' in 2017, for example, was a pivotal moment for her career, as she established herself as a fashion icon of our times. As a part of her tour, she created a separate Instagram handle, titled @the_press_tour, documenting all the looks she wore while, promoting the film. This direct means of communication felt fresh and radical, as she described how each of her looks were either curated or sourced from a vintage store or an old collection or from relatively smaller brands that actively implement sustainable and ethical practices.

Some of my favourite looks from the tour are the Elie Saab gown she wore to the Shanghai premiere of her movie (it was created from left over fabrics of previous Haute Couture collections), the floral Oscar De La Renta bustier and trouser look (it was created using organic silk and wool, verified by the sustainability consultancy, Eco-age) and the yellow Christian Dior gown (it was created in collaboration with Eco-age, using sustainable fabrics). Her beauty looks were also, created using clean and ethical brands like The Body Shop and RMS beauty.

I found it very interesting that immediately after Emma was done promoting her movie, there was a wave of other actresses like Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett following a similar route, where they either wore vintage or a previously worn look. It is a possibility that they were inspired by Emma and while, it is yet to become a standardised approach, it was a great first move in the right direction. Of late, 'sustainability' and 'authenticity' have become great buzz words for heritage luxury brands. It is ironic, given that their business model is still very much structured around producing and consuming more than what we actually need.

The collaborations that do happen with environmentally conscious actors like Emma are a rarity and are again, often only carried out with the intention to do profitable business or to get good press. Since, money is clearly, the only language most fashion brands understand, I think, it is imperative for other celebrities, to take charge and trail through the way that Emma has paved. When actors and actresses of great wealth and international stature, dress well and gain positive press for wearing clothes that are often, samples from the latest collections. They are inadvertently encouraging a culture of irresponsible consumerism. I think, it is time for them to rebel and introduce a much needed change of course.


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You can read Emma's profile at The Coveteur here and here, for further context.