Style Icons: Frida Kahlo
This June is ‘Girl Power’ month at Coco and Duckie. A woman that I find inspirational is Frida Kahlo. Everyone knows Frida as the iconic artist from the beginning of the 20th century who was bold and beautiful in her own way. Her life and artwork are timeless, and these are a few reasons she inspires me to let in the lovely every day. Her style is natural, colorful and honest.
Frida was fashionable—a quality we all certainly support here at Coco and Duckie! She caused quite the sensation with her fashion when she came to San Francisco in the 1930’s.
You know the stunning silhouette of her unibrow: a statement that she made in the face of social norms that became uniquely associated with her and the power of her work.
Frida stayed true to herself. She pushed boundaries with her art. Some of it is still shocking to this day, nearly 100 years after its creation. Imagine how shocking it must have been back then!
She painted what she wanted to, regardless of what was in style or accepted by the masses. She once wrote in a letter, speaking of her friend Nickolas Murray, “he tells me in his latest letter that I shouldn’t paint such gloomy and personal things like pelvises, hearts, etc. What the hell does he want me to paint? Angels and seraphim playing the violin?”
Through the hardships of her life, including ongoing health issues and multiple miscarriages, she was able to create beauty through her pain, and she was willing to be bold and share and paint about her life, including the hard times. Her tenacity to be true to herself is revealed not only in her art, but in her life as a strong and bold woman as well.
I love the book "Frida Kahlo at Home"
It's a an interesting take on Frida's life, focusing on the places she lived and how they impacted her creativity.
Her ability to transition from the dark and rough times of her life to her more colorful self-portraits was amazing. Her painting style reflected her moods and portrayed her self-image, especially the way she painted herself in her natural beauty, which demonstrated such confidence. Frida was always self-aware, she knew who she was, and she didn’t discount it for anyone.
As an artist, she inspires me to create beauty and share my hearts with those I come in contact with every day, and to always be the best version of myself that I can possibly be!
xo,
Gabby
