Frida Kahlo: Fashion as the Art of Being | Assouline

Frida Kahlo was not only an iconic artist, she was also a bold beauty and an avant-garde fashionista whose timeless sense of style continues to inspire and influence the worlds of fashion, media, and art today. Fashion is an optical effect that Frida knew how to employ with shrewd intelligence and artistic intention. Frida knew that life is theater, and fashion was her costume. Frida understood the importance of image and attitude, no matter who you are. The canvas was Frida’s mirror, and she was the painter, the model, and the painting—author, subject, medium, and object. Frida was her own best work of art. Whether she was in Mexico City, New York, or Paris, Frida Kahlo’s unique multicultural aesthetic mélange created an exciting and matchless style that made her the center of attention wherever she went. The impact of Frida’s fashion fusion still generates an infectious attraction the world over. International fashion magazines feature editorials that clearly display Frida’s influence; fashion designers and models continue to channel her indomitable spirit; filmmakers, songwriters, and artists create new works that reflect her singular aesthetic. Fashion as the Art of Being is a vibrant tribute to Frida Kahlo’s bold character, style, and art, a fascinating journey reflecting the kaleidoscopic ways Frida’s unique story and personality have been interpreted and adapted as few others in our time. Based in Mexico City and Madrid, Susana Martínez Vidal is a fashion and lifestyle journalist with more than twenty-five years of experience. She was director of Elle Spain and Elle Decor España , as well as founder and director of Ragazza magazine. Frida Kahlo inspired the first fashion editorial she produced as director of Elle Spain , and since then she has passionately followed Kahlo’s influence in fashion, music, and culture. After seeing the first-ever exhibition of Frida’s clothing at La Casa Azul in 2012, Vidal was inspired to write this, her firs