RED LIPSTICK: A SWORD
Sana Karnawat
Integrative Seminar - Bridge 3 (Multiple Perspectives): Fashion Avatar Eric Dean Wilson November 7th, 2017
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Red. Scarlet. Bold. Crimson. Sensual. Founded in the United States, the Revlon Fire and Ice Lipstick was first advertised in 1952 with an image of model Dorian Leigh donned in a ravishing all-sequin silver gown, enveloped in a puffed red cloak. The photograph, shot by Richard Avedon, was juxtaposed with an interesting questionnaire titled “Are You Made For ‘Fire and Ice’? – try this quiz and see!” The description given along with it emphasized the fearless American beauty as dynamic and modest. It read that she intimidates as well as excites men. This 1952 American goddess has the “foolproof formula for melting a male!” The questions pertain to the liberated, daring and wishful characteristics that a woman may have. For example, if the reader’s answer to one of the questions “Have you ever danced with your shoes off?” is yes, she is close to the aforementioned delineation of the American beauty. Another example is – “Would you streak your hair with platinum without consulting your husband?” Out of the fifteen questions, if one can truthfully answer “yes” to at least eight of them, one is made of “Fire and Ice!” This means that the reader is an audacious and avid female. Wearing red lipstick makes a woman come off as daring, adventurous and emancipated. The embonpoint, crimson lips signal sensuality, thus accentuating the predominance of red lips as a form of public presentation and allurement. Before the nineteenth century, many men and women from different cultures painted their lips as a creative part of tradition. As Anne Hollander mentions, “In body-painting societies, pure personal invention might have free reign over one day’s overall body pattern, while ritual requirements would strictly govern the one for the next day.”1 Following their customs, they would paint their lips according to a particular set
1 Anne Hollander, Sex and Suits: The Evolution of Modern Dress (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016), 18.
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of rules. However, some days they had room for creative expression. It is possible that in the course of this creative exploration, the indigenous people discovered the attributes of solid redcolored lips. “While it’s true purpose is creative, fashion has been wrongly thought to exist just to make people tell lies, to conceal or display things for bad reasons, one bad reason supposedly being that everyone else is doing it; and fashion thus begins to seem like a kind of poison or disease,”2 writes Hollander. In light of this, the Revlon lipstick was made as a lush and passionate item that projects a woman’s hidden personality. It allows her to let go and have the time of her life. It may fit the category of “lies via fashion” but is it really for a bad reason? According to me, definitely not. The endless fame of red lipstick is not because it’s a poison or disease, it’s because it is a weapon that only a female can wield. In 1946, Harper’s Bazaar declared: “Proud fingers wield their weapon. The act reinforces the spirit. The streak of red steadies trembling lips. For one poignant moment, the little stick takes on the significance of a sword.”3 This accessory gives her the courage to face the world. It allows her to put on a brave face during war, and in peace, defy the mundane routine of daily life. It subdues her timidity. When a woman puts on make-up, she feels more confident and enthusiastic about herself. The color red being so strong, adds to that energy. Its vibrancy provides the courage factor. That is why red nail paint and red lipstick together, create an absolutely stunning look. However, sometimes the color may even come off as too intense. In fact, in the beginning of the twentieth century, crimson lips were associated with socially rebellious women, including prostitutes and
2 Hollander, Sex and Suits, 20. 3 Revlon, Fire and Ice Lipstick, New York, Museum of Modern Art, Items: Is Fashion Modern?
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suffragettes. Being an emblem of anger, the color pretty much portrayed the frustration and desperation in those women. Red lips have risen from traditional dress and since arrived in modern fashion with a new meaning. In traditional societies, they were looked at differently. As mentioned earlier, red lips were a sign of transgression. People judged them and viewed them with distaste. However, come modern fashion, women donned in red lipstick have been admired. Their dauntlessness is attractive and charming. Anne Hollander rightly touches on this - “Western fashion offers a visual way out of the trap of tradition, the prison of unquestioning wisdom.�4 Red lips lead a woman towards this kind of freedom. This layer of make-up can be highly powerful and captivating. The Revlon Fire and Ice Lipstick is a red-pigmented substance made up of wax oil, alcohol and preservatives. It is encased in a metal and diamante crystal container. When a woman takes off the bejeweled lid and rolls up the lipstick, she can feel the power. It is fascinating how this pocketable fashion item can hold so much significance. Any red lipstick, no matter the brand, has the same substantiality. It is the color and the meaning behind it, that contribute to its repute. In my opinion, a red lipstick has the puissance to make a woman feel like she is armed. All in all, it is a symbol of prowess.
4 Hollander, Sex and Suits, 19.
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Bibliography
Hollander, Anne. Sex and Suits: The Evolution of Modern Dress. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. Museum of Modern Art. Revlon, Fire and Ice Lipstick, New York, Items: Is Fashion Modern?