Frida Kahlo, her real look, on display in Mexico
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In this April 14, 1939 file photo, painter and surrealist Frida Kahlo, who was the wife of noted Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, poses at her home in Mexico City. A full collection from Kahlo's wardrobe will go on public display on Nov 22 in Mexico City after being locked for nearly 50 years. -- PHOTO: AP
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A traditional garment worn by indigenous women known as a "huipil" that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is displayed in an office before going on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. A full collection from Kahlo's wardrobe will go on public display ON Nov 22 in Mexico City after being locked for nearly 50 years -- PHOTO: AP
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A mannequin wearing a skirt and blouse that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo stands in an office before going on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City onTuesday, Oct 2, 2012. A full collection from Kahlo's wardrobe will go on public display on Nov 22 in Mexico City after being locked for nearly 50 years. -- PHOTO: AP
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A skeleton sculpture depicting late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo stands on display at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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The detail of the embroidery on a traditional garment worn by indigenous women known as a "huipil" that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is displayed in an office before going on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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An outfit that belonged to iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is seen in the bedroom that Kahlo shared with her husband Mexican muralist Diego Rivera at the Blue House in the neighborhood of Coyoacan in Mexico City on Sept 27, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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A leather corset that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is displayed at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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A Nov 1938 Vogue magazine edition with an article about Frida Kahlo by Bertram D. Wolfe is displayed at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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A reproduction of a Frida Kahlo self-portrait with a letter by artist Diego Rivera stands in a corner of a garden at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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A wall is decorated with pre-Colombian sculptures and words that read in Spanish "Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived in this house 1929-1954" at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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Museum keeper Ximena Gomez dresses a mannequin with an indigenous shirt known as a "huipil" and a skirt that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo before putting it on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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Museum keeper Ximena Gomez places a traditional garment worn by indigenous women known as a "huipil," that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, before putting it on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
In this April 14, 1939 file photo, painter and surrealist Frida Kahlo, who was the wife of noted Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, poses at her home in Mexico City. A full collection from Kahlo's wardrobe will go on public display on Nov 22 in Mexico City after being locked for nearly 50 years. -- PHOTO: AP
A traditional garment worn by indigenous women known as a "huipil" that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is displayed in an office before going on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. A full collection from Kahlo's wardrobe will go on public display ON Nov 22 in Mexico City after being locked for nearly 50 years -- PHOTO: AP
A mannequin wearing a skirt and blouse that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo stands in an office before going on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City onTuesday, Oct 2, 2012. A full collection from Kahlo's wardrobe will go on public display on Nov 22 in Mexico City after being locked for nearly 50 years. -- PHOTO: AP
A skeleton sculpture depicting late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo stands on display at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
The detail of the embroidery on a traditional garment worn by indigenous women known as a "huipil" that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is displayed in an office before going on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
An outfit that belonged to iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is seen in the bedroom that Kahlo shared with her husband Mexican muralist Diego Rivera at the Blue House in the neighborhood of Coyoacan in Mexico City on Sept 27, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
A leather corset that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is displayed at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
A Nov 1938 Vogue magazine edition with an article about Frida Kahlo by Bertram D. Wolfe is displayed at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
A reproduction of a Frida Kahlo self-portrait with a letter by artist Diego Rivera stands in a corner of a garden at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
A wall is decorated with pre-Colombian sculptures and words that read in Spanish "Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived in this house 1929-1954" at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
Museum keeper Ximena Gomez dresses a mannequin with an indigenous shirt known as a "huipil" and a skirt that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo before putting it on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
Museum keeper Ximena Gomez places a traditional garment worn by indigenous women known as a "huipil," that belonged to late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, before putting it on exhibit at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City on Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
MEXICO CITY (AP) – The women on the cocktail circuit of the late 1930s were all curve-hugging dresses and gelled curls.
Not Mexican surrealist painter Frida Kahlo.
She graced dinner parties and theatres from Paris to New York in ribbons, full skirts and loose peasant blouses embroidered with vividly coloured flowers, and her uni-brow was a bold contrast to the pencil-line eyebrows of the time.
Over the years, Kahlo’s look has become as influential as her art, capturing the fancy of trendsetters from Madonna to singer Gwen Stefani and French designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
Background story
Some pointers on bringing out your inner Frida Kahlo by adopting the look made famous by the Mexican surrealist painter:
HAIR: Part your hair in the middle and make two braids using a colourful ribbon, or a scarf if you want more volume. Wrap them in an updo. Hide the ends of the scarf by pinning large flowers on top of the braids.
MAKE-UP: Kahlo greatly exaggerated her uni-brow in her morbid self-portraits, but you don't have to stop plucking your eyebrows. Just use brown powder to fill in as much as you like. Wear red lipstick, pink blush and soft eye shadow.
DRESS: If you can't find a "huipil," a loose blouse or tunic hand woven by Indians in Mexico, try any other loose and short blouse with a floral pattern, preferably embroidered. It can be velvet, silk or other fabric.
Don't try to match the blouse with Kahlo's signature full, long skirt. They are supposed to mismatch. The skirt should be more discrete, plain-coloured or with a soft pattern. Kahlo liked to concentrate attention on the top to hide her thin right leg. Accessorise the look with a shawl, scarf or even a creative capelet or man's vest.
JEWELLERY: Kahlo loved indigenous designs for necklaces and large, chunky rings on almost every finger. Her earrings were often gold and big, but she also wore silver jewellery. You can use vintage-looking necklaces that are long chains wrapped around the neck two times or more.
SHOES: Wear shiny Oxfords or boots with a medium platform. The more designs on the front, the better. Instead of laces, use black ribbons and tie them in a bow.
