The art in the industry

Upon informing new acquaintances that I write a beauty column, reactions are usually some delightful combination of disappointment, pity and horror. The assumption is that you have nothing to offer the journalistic world save for top tips on how to apply gargantuan false eyelashes to wear to the likes of Pout, complete with a cheap neon orange glow.

In reality, the beauty industry need not be reduced simply to narcissism, consumerism, and doing horrible, horrible things to vaginas. When pursued appropriately, the result is nothing less than a form of art, which is how I approach the whole business in my perception. Art is abundant in the industry and should be admired as such, and certain SS12 beauty looks reflected this much perhaps more so than ever. Take it as a visual representation of an artist’s imagination with all its inherent fantasy rather than a fascist dictation of the universal ideals of beauty and you’re good to go; you appreciate the image subjectively; you don’t want to be it; you understand that nobody sane is expecting you to be it.

Of course, there is no escaping the fact that a lot of hilarious bullshit (Katie Price’s entire existence, for example) composes a significant portion of the industry, but that’s what vitriolic satire with all its exposing properties is for. Otherwise, feast your eyes on a selection of beautiful SS12 creations, which look as though they were taken straight out of art school:

Featured image: Manish Arora; Thakoon.
Left to right: Fendi; Chanel; Meadham Kirchhoff; Narciso Rodriguez