Bald and the beautiful
Supermodel Cara Delevingne has gone bald to send out the message that women needn’t rely on hair to feel beautiful. Industry experts speak about how beauty is much more than looks, hair or skin tone
The world of fashion is full of surprises, and unexpected and quirky trends. But what defines beauty is something very subjective. Recently, international supermodel and actress Cara Delevingne made a bold style statement by shaving her hair, saying she believes that women needn’t rely on hair to feel beautiful. Previously, model Diandra Soares did exactly the same and set an inspiring example.
According to industry experts, experimenting with one’s looks and making bold attempts like Cara’s, create trends and send a strong message that defies stereotypes.
“I completely agree with what Cara has said. Whether it’s fashion, poetry, or any piece of art work, beauty is all about the attitude,” says designer Rahul Mishra.
“Fashion and trends can never go according to stereotypes. Otherwise, one particular hairstyle would have been trending from time immemorial. According to me, beauty is more about how you think and your approach towards life. An ordinary looking person might look extremely beautiful because that person has a beautiful heart and a positive attitude. On a larger perspective, Cara’s statement might be in her own personal capacity but there’s also a philosophical point to it and that’s true,” adds Rahul.
Asked if he would have a bald model walk for his shows, he says, “I would love to cast someone like her. Diandra has walked for me and I gave her the strongest outfit of the collection. While casting models, we look at different characters that models can portray. At a show, I’m not just showcasing pretty clothes, I’m also there to showcase the attitude behind the show.” Stylist Saloni Arora feels that even shorter hair is “truly unwinding”. “Even I got bald once. Hair is a beauty element but it doesn’t define beauty. And when it is coming from someone like Cara, it is definitely a bold style statement. Sometimes, when I step out of the house with my short hair and spikes, people have different viewpoints to offer. But I just feel that my viewpoint is much bolder than theirs,” says Saloni while adding that she’s helped around 10 of her clients go bald.
Mentioning about styling people with short hair, she shares, “People with shorter hair are easy to style as the face and features are exposed more. It is in fact more natural and quirky. ”
However, model Noyonika Chatterjee believes that no trend stays for too long in fashion. “We needed someone really popular to change beauty stereotypes and Cara did it successfully. Having said that, I think that only a person in Cara’s position can attempt this. If an ordinary girl did it, I can’t say how people in India would react,” says Noyonika.
“Here, it is a belief that giving up your hair is like giving up a big part of your vanity. Also, it’s a trend and in the fashion world, no trend stays too long. There have been icons like Madonna who have done trendsetting things, but it only works for a while. When celebrities take up something like this, it becomes a bigger concern but I don’t see it changing the whole mindset,” she adds.
Agrees beauty expert Ishika Taneja, who feels that hair adds a lot to one’s personality. “What Cara did is very liberating and courageous, but I’m not in support of it. Many people are keen to have shorter hair and I would suggest crops or A-symmetrical hair cuts to them, or going halfway on one side and longer hair on the other side. These styles work really well and also make a strong style statement,” says Ishika.