Bogota is characterized by having beautiful women, from all over the country, as well as from different colors and backgrounds. I confess I’ve been sitting for hours and days trying to identify an interest trend on beauty. The difference between being inspired with boundaries, and finding the muse without any type of limitation is enormous, but it finally hit me: I’m gonna write about Loly.

Loly Fuentes is the new Bogotan Reina, needless to say Colombians gives a huge amount of importance to these beauty pageants, there’s a whole story behind it, a whole pride, and the best part about being a reina (beauty queen)  is securing a spot as an actress in a telenovela (sopa opera), even if she has no acting training at all.

Beauty is absolutely important in Colombian television, and it has nothing to do with acting skills. But there’s this one thing I can assure you, if you take a meticulous look at all women in the industry (or the wannabes), you will notice they have something done, if not everything.

For some reason, Colombian women pursue a particular aesthetic and it creeps me a little - well maybe a lot- to see how many women have the exact same nose or the same boobs, as well as the same butt and the same hair. It really gives me the creeps, however, I have to deal with the fact that I’m just the minority and, as Ghandi once said: “the minority of one person telling something is not the same than one person telling the truth”.

I might not be the one telling the truth, but to tell you the truth, every time I watch “Inside the Actor’s Studio” (which is in fact one of my favorite TV programmes) I think about the famous Bernard Pivot question:  ”What profession would you not like to do?. I would answer: “Neither A Colombian Beauty Queen or a “Telenovela” actress”.  Almost every women here are born to fit this aesthetic and I think it is so wrong in so many ways that I wouldn’t have enough space to portray it.

But why Loly? Because Loly is one of the few who, for some reason, fits in the pageant’s profile without “retouching” herself and her intentions are to stay as much as possible without having any surgical jobs.

Kudos to Loly!

***

The Eye of the Beholder

Bogotá se caracteriza por tener mujeres hermosas, de diferentes procedencias, así como de diferentes colores. Confieso que llevo varias horas y días sentada tratando de llegar a identificar alguna tendencia en la belleza que sea interesante. La diferencia entre estar inspirado con limitaciones, y la búsqueda de la musa sin ningún tipo de limitación es enorme, pero finalmente me llegó: Voy a escribir sobre Loly.

Loly Fuentes es la nueva “Reina” bogotana. Supongo no hará falta decir que los colombianos dan una importancia enorme a estos concursos de belleza. Hay toda una historia detrás de estos, un orgullo y la “mejor parte” es que al ser “Reina” aseguran un lugar como actriz en una “telenovela”, incluso si ella no tiene ninguna formación como actríz.

En la televisión colombiana se le da una total importancia a la “belleza” y nada tiene que ver con sus habilidades de actuar. Si usted ve minuciosamente a todas las mujeres en la “industria” (o a las aspirantes), se dará cuenta que tienen transformado, si no todo.

Por alguna razón las mujeres colombianas persiguen una estética que en realidad me asusta un poco, o bueno tal vez me asusta mucho. Ver la cantidad de mujeres que tienen exactamente la misma nariz o las mismas tetas, así como la misma “cola” y el mismo tipo y color de pelo me da un poquito de escalofríos. Sin embargo tengo que lidiar con el hecho que soy una minoría o como Gandhi dijo una vez: Una minoría de una persona diciendo algo no es lo mismo que una persona diciendo la verdad.

Tal vez yo no tenga la verdad en la mano, pero cada vez que veo ” Inside the Actor’s Studio ” (que es de hecho uno de mis programas favoritos de TV) pienso en responder a la famosa pregunta de Bernard Pivot (¿Qué profesión no le gusta hacer) con: Ni una reina de belleza colombiana ni una actriz de “Telenovela”, aun cuando casi todas las mujeres aquí prácticamente nacen para adaptarse a esta estética. No sé ni cómo empezar cuando digo que hay muchas cosas mal en este campo, pero me queda corto exponerlo en un artículo de 400 palabras.

¿Por qué Loly? Debido a que Loly es uno de la pocas que, por alguna razón, cabe en el perfil del concurso sin haberse hecho retoques de todo tipo y sus intenciones son permanecer, tanto como le sea posible, sin hacerse ninguna cirugía plástica.
Loly: ¡Mucha suerte con eso! Felicitaciones a Loly!

Gaby Amarantos is the biggest representative of the music style known as techno-brega. A blend of electro-pop and cheesy music made in Northern Brazil, techno-brega producers use makeshift studios to record versions of popular Brazilian songs and international music from the eighties, ignoring copyright concerns and distributing it in the streets in homemade CDs.

Born in the state of Pará, alongside the Amazon jungle, Gaby reached fame in her 30s, when she caught the media attention by blending an explosion of colours with a mix of different influences and redefining the concept of beauty. Gaby ignores the fact that she is considered overweight and sustains that she sees herself as a hot, powerful woman. Her self-confidence and wardrobe inventiveness have made Gaby a new beauty icon for Brazilian women.

Brazil is a huge country influenced by a variety of ethnicities, colours and beliefs that they only meet there with each other. The Brazilian popular culture somehow embraced these social differences and miscegenation and created a unique cultural environment where the country’s biggest icons -football and carnival- are gathering events completely free of prejudice and authentic people’s parties.

The middle class is experiencing constant growth and gaining momentum. Women belonging in this class assume their true physical condition and think they’re naturally beautiful. They don’t mind if their weight is above average or if they don’t fit the beauty standards promoted by the media. When asked about pretty women they never hesitate to use themselves as examples.

Turned to this new market, some brands are already starting to create products and publicity campaigns that speak to the rapidly growing middle class. The techno-brega movement gained strenght catapulting Gaby to stardom: the singer was chosen to perform at VOGUE Brazil’s carnival ball, a publication normally used to size 4 models. Also, Globo TV -the largest TV network in Brazil- will launch a new soap-opera whose opening song was written and performed by Gaby.

Women in general recognize and cherish Gaby’s strength as it has done much for their self-esteem. If they had any doubt wether they should assume their natural looks and reinforce a new beauty standard then Gaby is the answer. The singer, in fact, has another diva as her inspiration: Beyoncé Knowles, the american singer and popstar.

It’s been a while since Beyoncé broke barriers and stereotypes proving that a  great pop singer didn’t have to be skinny to be considered sexy and beautiful. It’s not a coincidence the fact that Gaby is known in Brazil as “The Beyoncé from The Amazon”: the singer invented this label for herself.

Phillip Lorca DiCorcia’s shooting style falls somewhere between documentary street photography and the images of movie posters and advertising billboards. The contrast between the sometimes mundane subjects and the photographic language in which they are portrayed removes the subject from their original context transporting them to higher cinematic realms whilst through their nature of being snapshots, still images, retain a Rorschach-like quality of being entirely open to the viewers’ interpretations.

The beauty of these photographs comes from the fact that the subjects are normal people, transported into a cinematic realm of romance, deceit and subterfuge through the skill in capturing somebody’s real life, when alone, walking through a city. In a single image, the subjects are transcending their own life story and adopting the life of a character in a movie, completely unconsciously. The use of a telephoto lens and the subjects’ obliviousness of the image being taken creates a totally pure image, free of self-consciousness.

Beauty is the label afforded to those who are given a physical advantage in reaching the pedestal of others’ judgments. In a culture where physical beauty is so often a delicate aspiration, a helpless victim of the butchery of women’s magazines and tabloid newspapers, the idea of giving “plain” faces, the symbol of “the people” the cinematic respect and fluency that is hard to come by, even for the typically beautiful, is both jarring and classically egalitarian.

The series has been scorned by many and was subject to a lawsuit from one of the men photographed, due entirely to the unannounced style of shooting, from distance, concealed, public opinion faintly echoed these sentiments; rousing fears of being “caught off-guard”, without being given… “time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet”.

This series serves as a gift to those who see the threat of self-awareness.  To capture the fragile beauty of anybody’s fleeting thoughts though, Lorca DiCorcia’s techniques were justified, an opinion upheld and protected constitutionally.

These photographs are a cityscape, a reminder that behind every face is a life of maybe immeasurable joy, pain and depth.

The care for nature and wellness is getting bigger everyday. Given the condition of stress that we are subject in our modern lives, the seek for health and the return to the roots is something completely related to nature. In some way, the seek for the natural is also the seek for the real -down with mega-powerful creams, heavy makeup, hair tint and plastic surgery- beauty is becoming less artificial and less manipulated.

This reflects directly in brand comunications and we have seen more and more brands comunicating the real. Brazilian brand Natura, for instance, portraits real consumers in their ads, besides using only Brazilian ingredients in their formulas. In another sphere, natural ingredients also started to influence the consumer’s choice and purchase decision: Kiehls and Sejaa are examples of brands that seek to work only with 100% natural and even organic ingredients.

Think of Gisele, the Brazilian ubermodel. She is the face of this new trend. Naturally beautiful, appearing always with untied hair and almost no makeup, Gisele has launched the cosmetics brand Sejaa, which explores natural and organic ingredients, characteristics that she states she couldn’t find in the market.

The ‘naked’ look promoted by Gisele has also appeared a lot in catwalks of recent fashion weeks. In the latest editions of São Paulo Fashion Week and Fashion Rio the perfect skinned but subtle look could be seen in most of the shows.

In real life, plastic surgeries are being left aside by men and women who are learing to accept small ‘flaws’. Women start to assume white hair, overweight men aim to lose weight by practicing sport – specially outdoor sports which have some connection to nature. This type consumer no longer sees him or herself represented in the cover of magazines, thus creating space for a non-photoshop movement which starts to privilege celebrities in their original shape, without photo retouching.

This is in part a response to a global movement that started some years ago by brands such as Dove. The Unilever owned personal care brand has adopted their Campaign for Real Beauty globally, as well as brands like Louis Vuitton which  revealed in 2010 backstage pictures of their models with none or almost no makeup. Maison Chanel, famous for creating trends in nail ink colour has recently showcased models with clear nails in their fashion shows.

Brazil is a privileged country in this movement. The connection with the nature and rescue of natural beauty are made even easier when they have such a large selection of natural resources, ingredients and, of course, a spokeswoman like Gisele.

We’ve spent decades referring back to different ones. This predilection is relatively natural in most Western capitals, all of them submerged into their own post-modernism. In Mexico City this is perceived in a especially eclectic way, even more so when we talk in aesthetic terms.

He who has met Taquicojocoque, a couple of visual artists from the Northern regions who have fashioned their way of living via Diogenes Syndrome, o he who has visited Dr. York’s lenses store in Roma neighborhood, partly because of its unique designs, will know what I’m talking about; the same goes to all those who’ve heard of Claudia Fernández, who looks for ancient furniture, restores it and then sells it to fancy restaurants so they may showoff the most amazing (and expensive) pieces.

In this city’s underground world, vintage designers no longer shine like Marvin and Quetzal used to do, reinterpreted clothes are old fashion and that feverish need to go out looking for fancy second-hand clothes in the Lagunilla, Tepito and other tianguis is no more. However, one can’t help but feel that this light of remembrance hasn’t completely vanished. Vintage might’ve not disappeared, but it hasn’t evolved either, it has rather extended its reach, for its roots are powerful and reach far out – I’m talking about nostalgia. “To talk about beauty in this city is to talk about nostalgia,” shares Dorian López, Director of Art for the Mexican edition of Elle magazine.

In this large urban area nostalgia is an everyday thing; its very existence must be explained through this cultural clash that evokes this desire for times past. Besides, nostalgia takes into account various ingredients in this place; it’s as eclectic as mole itself. Let’s consider for a moment the people who are now moving to the traditional neighborhoods – high class areas in the 19th century which are now crumbling down – such as San Rafael and Santa María la Ribera. The outside may look worn down, but inside efforts are being made to preserve their dignity.

This aesthetic statu quo makes us think of an identity crisis that takes us to the past – to many of them, it doesn’t matter where or when – , someplace that grants us safety and allows us to dress, behave and think with this acceptable cynicism, surely a reflection of our national socioeconomic depression, something which nobody can escape, not beauty, not magazines, no concerts – some of the most recent ones, by the way, are OMD, Fatboy Slim and Pulp -  nostalgic events which hadn’t occurred in years.

Other examples of nostalgia that jump at us are an interest in the vast art decó heritage scattered throughout the city, Mexico City over time’s old pictures on Facebook, the extensive remodeling undergone by one of downtown’s most emblematic buildings in order to become the new Downtown hotel, parties at the bullfighting cantina La Faena and all these vintage Mexican design glasses. Was the past a more beautiful time in the Mexican capital? Maybe yes. That is why there is so much nostalgia and beauty surrounding it.

***

La Belleza de la Nostalgia

Llévamos décadas remitiéndonos a otras décadas. Esta tendencia es relativamente natural en la mayoría de las capitales de Occidente, tan sumergidas en la posmodernidad. En el caso de la Ciudad de México este fenómeno se percibe de un modo especialmente ecléctico, sobre todo cuando hablamos en términos estéticos.

Quien conoce a Taquicojocoque, el par de artistas visuales provenientes del Norte del país que han hecho un estilo de vida a partir del síndrome de Diógenes, o quien ha entrado en la tienda de lentes Dr. York, uno de los locales más famosos en la colonia Roma, en parte por su variedad de modelos únicos, sabrá a qué me refiero; lo mismo aquel que ha oído de Claudia Fernández, quien encuentra maravillosos muebles del pasado, los restaura y los ofrece a los restaurantes de moda para que luzcan las piezas más asombrosas (y caras).

En el underground capitalino ya no brillan como antes los diseñadores vintage Marvin y Quetzal, ni las tiendas de ropa reintrepretada ni la fiebre por hallar prendas de segunda mano vistosas en La Lagunilla, Tepito y otros tianguis, y sin embargo uno se queda con la impresión de que esta estela no se ha apagado del todo. Acaso el vintage no se ha extinguido, pero tampoco ha evolucionado, más bien se ha ampliado, ya que su raíz es poderosa y alcanza grandes extensiones; estoy hablando de la nostalgia. “Hablar de belleza en esta ciudad es hablar de nostalgia”, comparte Dorian López, director de arte de la edición mexicana de la revista Elle.

En esta urbe la nostalgia es cotidiana porque su propia existencia se explica a partir de choques culturales que propician el anhelo por tiempos pasados. Además aquí la nostalgia toma en cuenta varios ingredientes, es ecléctica como el mole. Pensemos en quienes recientemente se mudan a las colonias tradicionales –durante el siglo XIX señoriales, hoy casi cayéndose a pedazos– como San Rafael y Santa María la Ribera. Las fachadas pueden estar ruinosas, pero en los interiores se hacen esfuerzos por conservar la dignidad.

Este statu quo estético hace pensar en una crisis de identidad que hace regresar al pasado –a muchos pasados, poco importan el siglo o el origen geográfico–, lo cual otorga seguridad, y permite vestir, comportarse y pensar con un cinismo aceptable, seguramente como reflejo de la depresión socioeconómica nacional, de la que no se salvan ni la belleza ni las revistas ni los conciertos –algunos de los más comentados estos meses, por cierto, OMD, Fatboy Slim y Pulp, actos nostálgicos que tardaron lustros en presentarse aquí.

Otros ejemplos de nostalgia que saltan a la vista son el interés por el patrimonio art decó tan vasto que existe en la ciudad, la página en Facebook “La Ciudad de México en el tiempo” con fotografías viejas, la remodelación de un edificio de alto valor colonial en el Centro Histórico para albergar el novedosísimo hotel Downtown, las fiestas en la añeja cantina taurina La Faena y las gafas vintage de diseño mexicano. ¿El pasado fue más bello en la capital mexicana? Más simple sí. Tal vez por eso tanta nostalgia y belleza alrededor de él.

A very low-budget, quick video made by Italian TV-star Costantino Della Gherardesca has just become viral these days, being bounced from the Facebook walls of all major beauty editors, to Vogue Italy’s online version, and so on.

I’ve been following Costantino for quite a while now. From his appearances on late night shows disguised as a scandalous, truth-speaking magician, to his role as opinion leader on all that is about fashion, beauty and contemporary lifestyle, to the launch of his irreverent diary-like website Ingranforma that follows his weight loss adventure. Costantino is the perfect incarnation of an Italian icon, that stands out for his great irony and very direct words. Even when it’s about make-up.

The video in question is a mock-up version of the make-up tutorials that are being shot by entire hordes of beauty bloggers these days. It’s entitled “Rapid Rotation” and it mixes up mascara and blush with philosophy and politics.

Costantino chose to adopt this m.o. that is quick, sometimes flat, and nowadays almost overrated, to analyze the influence of bloggers on our choices regarding fashion, lifestyle, and beauty. This is his way to analyze our current Italian online situation, and it’s also a very subtle and intelligent way of pointing out at the errors that are often made by our beauty editors.

Costantino blames them for being too much influenced by the brands’ power. He believes, as many people do, that fashion is an art that can’t be underestimated, and that needs to blossom in a proper environment. While beauty, well, beauty is an empiric science, even the best dermatologist in the world can quickly confirm that.

Confort Atlantis – Acrylic on canvas (130x120cm) – Rob Conlazo – 2011

The real definition of beauty has always been up for debate. But no matter whether perceptions about it are focused on aesthetics or characteristics, the concept of beauty provides a perceptual experience of pleasure that everyone aspires to revel in. Argentine artist and creator of beauty Rob Conlazo, shares his point of view to help us reflect on this …or to leave us totally confused!

Rob Conlazo is part of Post Traumatic Kunst Ensemble, selected for arteBA-Petrobras Prize Visual Arts 2012 under the name of “Splatter Morfogenético/ Arlt Maschine” with Silvina Aguirre, Laura Bilbao and Lux Lindner.

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Rob Conlazo, musician and painter, founder of Reynolds band, with which I’ve made over 100 albums in various countries and played with Lee Ranaldo, Damo Suzuki, Pauline Oliveros, Nihilist Spasm Band, among others. Since 2005 I entirely dedicate my time to painting, video installations and performances.

What people or things represent beauty?

First and foremost the creator of creators: Yeovah, Yod, God, Dios, Allah, Shiva and all the names that represent him. He represents the beauty in its most real and pure state. Then, there also are many artists along the history of mankind in all disciplines such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Albrecht Dürer, Philip Gusto, Philip K. Dick, Neil Young, Kurt Vonnegut, Bob Dylan, Mohammed Ali, Roberto Durán, James Brown and many, many more who keep the memory of the existence of the real. Reality is not the real, but sometimes they touch.

How does society influence your definition of beauty?

Everything I do is for humanity and not for society. In general societies are like Pac-Man’s. I consider myself immune to periods of time. We all represent a small mirror in the big ball of the galactic disk in the divine world. I’m on the world, but I’m not from the world, and every time I remember it most.

How other cultures influence your conception of beauty?

My influences from other cultures are Terminator1, Rocky4, Charles Bronson, el Zohar, Lee Perry, ET, Fred Astaire, magician Merlin, Nusrat Fateh Alli Khan and Messi in reverse. All cultures influence me consciously and unconsciously.

Your conception of beauty coincides with the world’s definition of beauty?

What I consider beautiful is not necessarily beautiful for others. I vibrate and vibrate and melt my soul on what I’m doing, I feel something inside that tells me bingo! And that’s it. It can be a song, a painting, a video, a dance, a dream. I do not differentiate being on Paris or in a house of clay in Bolivia. I feel a citizen from the planet, floating in space within other planetary balls. I like linking worlds.

What I consider beautiful, doesn’t match with what is beautiful for the world… For example, for me beautiful is the elephant man Joseph Carey Merrick, I’ve recently read his writings and felt really moved. He was more beautiful than thousands of models! Unfortunately, masses are always wrong and luckily the invisible republic already exists! Want to be part? You will be welcome.

 ***

Mr. Sunshine Rob Conlazo

La verdadera definición de “belleza” siempre estuvo en debate, pero más allá de los diferentes puntos de vista el concepto de belleza es la experiencia de placer a la que todos aspiramos. El multidisciplinario artista argentino Rob Conlazo es un Creador de Belleza con mayúsculas y nos deja sus reflexiones del asunto.

Rob Conlazo forma parte de Post Traumatic Kunst Ensemble, seleccionados para el Premio arteBA-Petrobras de Artes Visuales 2012 bajo el nombre de Splatter Morfogenético/ Arlt Maschine” junto a Silvina Aguirre, Laura Bilbao y Lux Lindner.

Cocoloto - Acrylic on canvas (80x70cm) - Rob Conlazo - 2011

¿Quién sos y qué hacés?

Soy Rob Conlazo, músico y pintor, fundador del conjunto Reynols con el cual realicé más de 100 discos en varios países del mundo, además de tocar con Lee Ranaldo, Damo Suzuki, Pauline Oliveros, Nihilist Spasm Band, entre otros. Desde el año 2005 me dedico de lleno a la pintura, video instalaciones y performances.

¿Qué personas o cosas representan la belleza?

Ante todo el creador de los creadores: Yeovah, Yod, God, Dios, Allah, Shiva y todos los nombres que lo representen, él es quien representa la belleza en su estado más real y puro. Después hay muchos artistas a lo largo de la historia de la humanidad en todas las disciplinas como Da Vinci, Miguel Ángel, Durero, Philip Guston, Philip K. Dick, Neil Young, Kurt Vonnegut, Bob Dylan, Mohammed Alí, Mano de Piedra (Roberto) Durán, James Brown y muchos, muchos más que son como el ayuda memoria de la existencia de lo real. La realidad no es lo real, pero a veces se dan piquitos.

¿Cómo influye la sociedad en tu concepción de belleza?

Todo lo que hago es para la humanidad y no para la sociedad. Por lo general las sociedades son como pac mans. Me considero inmune a las épocas. Cada uno de nosotros somos un espejito en la gran bocha de la disco galáctica divina. Estoy en el mundo, pero no soy del mundo, y cada vez me lo acuerdo más.

¿Cuáles son tus métodos de interacción y comunicación social?

Ommmm. Multizona

¿Cómo influyen las demás culturas en tu concepción de belleza?

Me doy cuenta de que lo que más me influenció de otras culturas son Terminator1, Rocky4, Charles Bronson, el Zohar, Lee Perry, ET, Fred Astaire, el mago Merlín, Nusrat Fateh Alli Khan y Messi en cámara reversa. Me influyen todas las culturas conciente e inconcientemente.

¿Coincide lo que vos considerás bello, con lo que el mundo considera bello?

Lo que considero bello no necesariamente es bello para otros. Me gusta vibrar y vibrar y fundir mi alma en lo que esté haciendo, siempre, hasta que por dentro siento algo que me dice bingo!!! y listo. Puede ser un tema, una pintura, un video, un baile, un sueño… No diferencio estar en París o en una casa de barro en Bolivia. Me siento un habitante del planeta que flota en el espacio junto a otras pelotas planetarias. Me gusta fundirme en el todo. Enlazar mundos.

No coincide lo que yo puedo considerar bello con el mundo… Por ejemplo, un ser bello para mí era el hombre elefante Joseph Carey Merrick, no por su aspecto en sí sino por su corazón! Hace poco leí sus escritos y casi se me derrite el alma. Era un ser mucho más bello que millares de modelos apilados hasta pasar el Himalaya… Lamentablemente las masas siempre están equivocadas. Por suerte ya se fundó la república invisible! ¿Querés ser parte? Serás bienvenido.

When talking or writing about all that can be classified under the “beauty” label, a new keyword must be used from now on: INCI.

INCI, that stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, is the complete list of the actual elements that, combined, are then turned into the moisturizers, lotions and creams we put on every day. Since we’re obsessed about knowing what we eat, making sure we only buy organic or biologic, why don’t we pay enough attention to what we cover our face and body with?

La Pina, former rapper, now host of her daytime show on Radio Deejay, talks about this issue on her blog, dedicated to fashion, beauty and style, called Tuttasbagliata. Here, she provides a list of useful links, such as this website, where you can easily find out the ingredients of each product you normally use by typing it in.

But if you really, really want to be informed on how to use things that will make you pretty while truly respecting your body, you should quickly open up your Amazon account and buy the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary Handbook, it’s a series of 4 volumes, so you better start reading it asap. This trend, if we want to call a trend the need of being informed, testifies the growing attention, in our society, towards the small ingredients that make the products. Which is a symptom of our return to basics.

Fancy labels, shiny colours and false promises are not going to fool us anymore into buying products that don’t respect our needs. There’s nothing as beautiful than having access to all the information we deserve, and if this means from now on we’ll choose our cosmetics according to other standards, rather than the way they make us look, then this is the right way to go.

The already towering Swedish women have officially become at least six inches taller this spring. You literally can’t set foot in Swedish clothes stores without coming across countless, often spectacular, variations of platform and wedge heels, balancing on the thin line between the bold and the grotesque.

Even the colour combinations are taking brash steps away from the humdrum black, cream and brown, and stepping into loud shades like neon yellow, Russian red, and Yves Klein Blue. The most imaginative example being Minimarket’s multi-coloured suede-pleated pumps. Apparently, Icelandic singer Björk owns a pair in a boot version.

Maybe this trend was instigated by the success story of the Swedish Hasbeens that for the past few years have brought the traditional träsko (clogs) into the international fashion limelight, tapping into the increasing demand for rustic beauty.

But I can’t help but wonder if Swedish women’s choice to cover their slender feet with chunky, robust mega heels is linked to the booming revival of Swedish feminist ideals. Not only has the 60′s and 70′s women’s liberation movements debate over women’s right to grow body hair taken the country by storm all over again, those decades’ biggest shoe fad is, once more, making the streets of Swedish cities resonate with the clonky sound of girl power.

Women are well aware that men -more often than not- prefer them to be dainty and not taller, so they probably don’t wear platform heels to look beautiful for a man. The beauty of this bulky footwear rather lies in its sense of self-empowerment platform heels are stable, imposing and unapologetic. Men will either have to get used to towering women, or, just like in the 60′s and 70′s, start wearing platform shoes themselves.

What’s beautiful about that idea?

Every person involved in the project -from volunteers and donors to people who get the aid- can say that this idea is beautiful and makes them believe in good human nature again.

Szlachetna Paczka’s mission is to promote solidarity with the poorer and the feeling of common society. What also distinguishes Szlachetna Paczka is its efficiency: the value of aid has been gradually growing. In 9 years they have helped over hundreds of thousand people, and the total value of aid provided amounted to PLN 16 millon.

And this is the President of Poland packing his box: