patriarchy

Vogue Philippines: the beauty of humanity

12 April, 2023

A brave cover story of representation fighting the myth of youth

With its April 2023 issue, Vogue Philippines celebrates the beauty of humanity. Lately, fashion doesn’t provide such a momentum of passionate engagement and genuine enthusiasm. But finally, we can say: this is a cover story!

Indeed, this cover goes beyond fashion. Not only is it a story of representation, but also it is a powerful challenge to modern beauty standards and the cult of youth.

A centenarian is the cover story of Vogue Philippines!

Vogue Philippines’ April issue made history by featuring the oldest person ever on a cover. The woman, Apo Whang-Od – also known as Maria Oggay, is a 106-year-old tattoo artist from the Philippines. Specifically, she comes from the village of Buscalan – from the Kalinga tribe. And she is considered the oldest mambabatok. Batok is the traditional indigenous tattooing whose symbols signify strength, bravery and beauty. (Read her story here!)

Vogue Philippines: the beauty of humanity
Credit: Vogue Philippines

“We believe that the concept of beauty needs to evolve, and include diverse and inclusive faces and forms. What we hope to speak about is the beauty of humanity” said Bea Valdes – Vogue Philippines editor-in-chief.

In our modern society, people are subjugated by the myth of youth, so ageing is considered a curse, something to fight as much as possible. In fact, most people invest in plastic surgery or less invasive techniques to keep their “forever young” illusion alive. But the results are quite sad.

However, this issue doesn’t relate to the fashion and beauty industries only. It’s a matter of culture. Because of patriarchy, men are allowed to age while women are not. Though men, too, enjoy plastic surgery a lot, there is a different posture towards men’s and women’s ageing. With age, men become interesting while women just get old.
Moreover, women struggle to fit into beauty standards because that’s what men expect from them: plastic dolls in tight-fitting clothes. Indeed, women accept the idea of how a woman should look based on a male perspective. And they do not even question it! Therefore, they are easy to manipulate.

The beauty of humanity: more than a cover of a fashion magazine

So this is more than a cover of a fashion magazine. This is a change maker. Because it is a story of representation as Whang-Od is one of the last practitioners of Batok tattooing. But also, it is an ode to ageism.
This woman is powerfully elegant. She is strong and soulful, proud and delicate. She is a pierce-through beauty!

And that is what we need to challenge modern beauty standards and embrace our life in all its stages.

Are women free to make decisions?

23 March, 2023

Apparent freedom and women playing men’s game

We have recently touched on the connection between fashion and patriarchy to demonstrate that women aren’t really free to make decisions for themselves.

Is it real freedom?

If, in the Arabic world, freedom is a male prerogative, what happens in the western world is not much different. Women believe they are free, but their image reflects a male perspective. There’s a filter in women’s brains, a male setting made of centuries of cultural domination.

Look at what happened in the U.S., where some older men just passed an abortion ban, sending the country backwards and triggering big debates worldwide.

The joke is that perhaps Americans went to Afghanistan to train with the Taliban. But when the sad laugh ends, the concern grows. Indeed, you can see that patriarchy is still very much alive.

Being a female-led company, we suffer every time we hear women saying: “I cannot buy this dress because my husband doesn’t like it.” Of course, it’s not about the dress itself but because we are the only ones who can decide if we like something or not. We cannot allow someone else to rule us, knowing that someone else is often a man.

Likewise, women are the only ones who must have a voice in any matter that involves our bodies.

Are women free?

Being a woman isn’t a free choice. The vision of a woman is a male representation because those who hold the power and who make the rules are men. And so, they impose beauty standards, the clothing we should wear, and dictate our rights too. Even whether women can study or have an abortion is up to their whim.

If we allow men to decide what we can wear and how we should look, we give them the power to take any decision that involves us.

The story is about men who want to control women and women who play the men’s game, facilitating it!

Wake up, women! It’s time to remove patriarchal layers and choose what we want for ourselves.

Fashion and patriarchy

22 March, 2023

How men’s taste shapes women’s style

An anthropologic examination of fashion helps us understand why men’s taste becomes the favourite one.

But is that style allowing women’s affirmation? Or is that just the expression of man’s vision? Also, is fashion for women or against women? We should ask these questions indeed.

By analysing the context in which we live, the conclusion is that societal rules, beauty standards, and fashion are manifestations of patriarchy. Yes, it doesn’t take a subtle analyst to understand that! The whole world tells a story of patriarchy because we live in a man-shaped society.

Education for a men’s world

The way women behave, talk, think and see themselves is the sedimentation of centuries of male domination. And so it is for the way women dress. Indeed, it’s not really about expressing women’s taste, but it’s about fitting in an image stitched on us by male figures. It’s a cultural moulding representing an eternal story of dominance and submission.

Women are educated – or brainwashed – to please men in everything they do. Indeed, they are a playful accessory for men. That was the female’s role in the past, and so it is now. Nothing ever changed for real. Women’s style must conform to men’s taste, or they complain.

How men's taste dominates Fashion and patriarchy

For instance, take the ’50s. Fashion during that time was all about catching men’s attention with lines that highlighted the body. That taste never went out of fashion. And if you ask a woman what style trend she prefers, the ’50s are always on top.

And so, from abortion to clothing, it seems we are glad to let men decide everything about our lives.

The idea is to question conventional rules and notions. To decontextualize fashion to remove all the layers that, century after century, were placed on us. They are just a reflection of patriarchy.

By understanding that, we embrace our freedom. Men do not define us. We define ourselves!

Women must be aware of their worth and choose what best suits them. Understanding this point is a process that leads to self-appreciation and self-affirmation.

Recently (again), we heard the story of a woman who couldn’t buy a dress because her husband didn’t like it. Years of feminism for this? Really?

The question is: do you like it?