If there's anyone who never goes out of style, it's Frida Kahlo. Yes, that Mexican woman with a mustache and unibrow who painted self-portraits and whose life was marked by pain and suffering. Frida is currently a great fashion icon, both in her country and around the world. She sparks the interest of many people not only for the success of her paintings, but also because she had a truly fascinating and striking life.
Who was Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was born in 1907 and was one of the greatest exponents of surrealist painting in Mexico. She began painting self-portraits in which she expressed her own life and suffering as a result of an accident she had at 18, but the pain she had to endure throughout her life began much earlier. As a child, around 6 years old, she contracted polio (a disease that attacks the spinal cord and causes muscle atrophy and paralysis), and had to stay in bed for 9 months! This illness left her with sequelae in her right leg as it had not developed properly and was much thinner than the other.
Frida was a medical student until the day she had the accident that would mark her entire life. At 18, the bus she was traveling in collided with a streetcar and she was completely shattered. She fractured her spine and pelvis and had to wear corsets her entire life. She was often in the hospital and underwent 32 surgical operations.
She had to spend a lot of time in bed, and that's when she started painting. Her parents gave her a canvas and all the necessary tools for Frida to create her works while recovering in bed. That accident awakened her artistic side, allowing her to express her feelings through painting, especially self-portraits. She herself stated that she painted because she was alone and that she drew herself because she knew herself best.
She painted primarily for her personal satisfaction. She never thought about people's opinions of her work, but she was truly surprised when she saw that her work was liked and that people even wanted to buy her paintings!
Frida Kahlo's love and pain
But physical suffering was not the worst pain Frida had to endure. At 22, she married Diego Rivera, a prominent Mexican muralist who was 20 years older than her. That's when another great torment in her life began.
She experienced several miscarriages due to her poor physical condition and endured every one of her husband's infidelities. During this time, she began to reflect all her feelings in her works, from her miscarriages to the pain Diego Rivera caused her.
But the biggest blow came when she discovered he had been unfaithful with Cristina, Frida's sister. From then on, Frida Kahlo began to drown her sorrows in drink, became more and more immersed in her work, and also began to be unfaithful herself with both men and women. They finally decided to end their marriage, but years later they remarried. The love she felt for Diego was immense.
Throughout this time, Frida never stopped painting. She achieved such success that she exhibited her works in New York, Mexico, and Paris.
Frida's health worsened over the years; she even had a leg amputated, which caused her to fall into a deep depression. She spent her days bedridden and painting. It was practically impossible to separate her personal life from her work: in all her paintings, she depicted pain, femininity, love, nature…
Frida Kahlo: a symbol of fashion and feminism
Frida Kahlo's style has inspired many people and has become a symbol of feminism and fashion. As we all know, in the years Frida lived, women were completely subservient to men, but she broke those molds and showed the world that she was a strong and self-sufficient woman. She had no qualms about showing her "masculine features," as she called them. Hence, with her eyebrows and mustache, she managed to break with society's view of the feminine traits a woman should have.
She rebelled against sexism and created another type of identity for women. This is why she remains a symbol for feminism today.
But, in addition, Frida has managed to become a fashion icon and has inspired many photographers and designers thanks to her unique style. She liked to wear traditional dresses, braids in her hair and flower crowns, and many rings. She dressed as she felt and accepted herself as she was. She accepted her characteristics and her imperfect beauty and showed the world how important it is to love oneself. That is why, currently, fashion remains completely fascinated by her figure.
Indeed, it is clear that Frida Kahlo is an example of resilience and survival. She is a clear example of a person who knows how to overcome the problems that life throws her way. Frida is synonymous with constant struggle and love for life.