What I Learned About Beauty From Frida Kahlo
By Catherine Q. O’Neill
(Photo: Getty Images)
Two weeks ago I was vacationing in Mexico City (new restaurants, cool bars, amazing food—go!) and had the opportunity to tour Frida Kahlo’s house. The Casa Azul, as it’s called, has been open to the public for years, displaying the artist’s paints, portraits, and prized possessions. But only in 2004 did they unlock a true treasure trove: Kahlo’s bathroom, which has held her wardrobe and cosmetics for more than 50 years.
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The collection reveals a woman who loved beauty—including Guerlain Shalimar, Revlon nail polishes, cat-eye sunglasses, flower crowns, and rich red lipstick—but it also reveals a woman who used beauty to shield her vulnerabilities while unapologetically projecting her femininity. Kahlo had polio as a child and then suffered a horrific bus accident, eventually losing her leg to amputation. Her pain is hinted at throughout the collection. There are the gorgeous Tehuana-style floor-length dresses that celebrated her Mexican heritage while also hiding her prosthesis. There are rows of body casts, hand-painted by Kahlo and transformed into beautiful pieces of art, that held together her spine and pelvis following her accident. The experience struck a chord in me—I was in awe of her courage. How many of us have used beauty and fashion as a way of coping with disability, disease, or so-called imperfections? And how many of us have taken our insecurities and—through beauty and fashion—turned them into a source of strength? Though Kahlo left a lasting impression through her art, seeing her spirit and courage woven throughout her daily belongings really brought home how influential she was. Her example has never felt more relevant.
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You don’t have to go all the way to Mexico City to see Kahlo’s belongings (though I highly recommend it). Photographer Ishiuchi Miyako shot the entirety of the collection for her book Frida. Those photographs are on display at the Michael Hoppen Gallery in London from May 14 to July 12 this year, and you can see a few of them here.
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