FutureFace steps away from the BAFTA and Oscars' excruciating ‘worst’ and ‘best’ dress-debates and salutes Oscar winner Jenny Beavan for disrupting the status quo and wearing her Mad Max tribute outfit of leather jacket with a crystal skull to collect her gong.
While women everywhere - off and on the red carpet - continue to be judged on their looks and frocks, she dressed to please herself, despite being criticised for ‘not making enough effort’. In a world of prejudice her outfit does a service to us all.
While women everywhere - off and on the red carpet - continue to be judged on their looks and frocks, she dressed to please herself, despite being criticised for ‘not making enough effort’. In a world of prejudice her outfit does a service to us all.
In parallel, Mary Beard Professor of Classics at Cambridge University and TV presenter, has refused to colour, cut or otherwise amend her mane of grey hair. She’s outfaced the trolls who’ve demanded that she adopt the homogenised, youthful look which is a prerequisite in modern media.
Why is it that old, craggy, white-haired men are thought of as more authoritative than a woman with greys in this gender divided world? Mary Beard defied the TV ageists and struck a blow for all silver vixens by refusing to remove the ‘invisibility cloak’ of looking one’s age. I wonder if anyone has told Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, to dye her hair so that she'll be taken more seriously? Mary Beard has the power to buck conventional notions of beauty because she wants to do things her own way, not because she can't be bothered to make an effort, and continues to write bestselling books about Roman history and front engrossing Arts Programmes about Roman life.
Why is it that old, craggy, white-haired men are thought of as more authoritative than a woman with greys in this gender divided world? Mary Beard defied the TV ageists and struck a blow for all silver vixens by refusing to remove the ‘invisibility cloak’ of looking one’s age. I wonder if anyone has told Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, to dye her hair so that she'll be taken more seriously? Mary Beard has the power to buck conventional notions of beauty because she wants to do things her own way, not because she can't be bothered to make an effort, and continues to write bestselling books about Roman history and front engrossing Arts Programmes about Roman life.
As a Chinese Face Reader, I can see there’s more to it than 'meets the eye'. Jenny Beavan and Mary Beard both have those ‘triangular eyes’ aka ‘power peepers’ in FutureFace speak. This is when the upper eyelid folds down to make a triangle shape over the eye. (I wrote about Boris Johnson and Margaret Thatcher's tri-eyes recently in ‘Boris, Brexit and Baloney’). When I see this feature, I know the person is strongly determined and persistent; they’re not really up for discussion about hair colour, couture gowns or, like the late Margaret Thatcher, doing U-turns. Jenny and Mary don’t have the shrill, cold-eyed approach of Thatcher, but they are equally focussed, goal orientated, and uncompromising.
And I notice Mme Lagarde is starting to develop a little triangle eye on the right - the side of the face which relates to her career. Mary Beard resists all interference with good humour and keeps writing, teaching and broadcasting; Jenny Beavan ignores the critics and blasts on with her mission to tell stories with beautiful clothes - everything from 18thC corsetry to post-apocalyptic fetish punk. They love what they do. That’s all. And I love them for it.
And I notice Mme Lagarde is starting to develop a little triangle eye on the right - the side of the face which relates to her career. Mary Beard resists all interference with good humour and keeps writing, teaching and broadcasting; Jenny Beavan ignores the critics and blasts on with her mission to tell stories with beautiful clothes - everything from 18thC corsetry to post-apocalyptic fetish punk. They love what they do. That’s all. And I love them for it.