To coincide with International Women’s Day, I wanted to write a piece about one of my all time favourite female artists: Frida Kahlo.

Kahlo is arguably one of Mexico’s greatest and most famous artists of all time, known for her portraits and self-portraits, and works that are heavily influenced by Mexico which can be seen through the vibrant colours she used. Frida was pursuing a career in the medical field when she was involved in a serious traffic accident aged 18 which left her in severe pain for the rest of her life. Following the accident she could no longer continue her studies in medicine, but instead took up painting. Her paintings are seen as a form that she expressed her pain and the harsh lives of women in Mexico.

Influence on Fashion

Frida Kahlo still has a large influence recognised in many industries, especially fashion. Her influence has been seen across high fashion for years. Designer Roland Mouret was heavily inspired by the late artist and dedicated his SS18 show to her. Many other designers followed this inspiration and have also dedicated shows to Frida through using the same vibrant colour palette she used as well as using the same floral inspirations that Kahlo used.

Fridamania

It is not only the world of high fashion that Frida has influenced, in recent years there has been an increase in Frida Kahlo related merchandise which has followed the so called ‘Fridamania’. You can now get all sorts of clothes available with emblems that represent the artist. The Dallas Museum of Art organised a ‘Frida lookalike’ on the 110th birthday of Kahlo in an attempt to gain a Guinness World Record, with 1,100 Frida’s in attendance. Not only did they host the Frida meet-up but also organised an entire evening of festivities to celebrate her birthday. These included a documentary screening, dancing, food, and a chance to get transformed into Khalo with a makeover from the Mexican-inspired cosmetics brand Reina Rebelde.

V&A and Frida

Frida Kahlo has been featured in many exhibitions around the world. One of the most famous museums that has featured her is the V&A. In 2018, the museum opened the new exhibition Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up. It was the first time that Kahlo’s personal belongings would be displayed outside of Mexico. The main and key focus of the exhibition was to be the ways in which Kahlo constructed her individual identity. In a statement the V&A said:

“This ground-breaking exhibition will explore the development of Kahlo’s style as an amalgam of traditional Mexican garments, fashion from Europe and beyond, and demonstrate how her wardrobe was expressive of the complex relationship between her Mexican and Western heritage.”

Frida Kahlo’s influence was immense when she was alive and has continued to create the previously mentioned Fridamania. Personally, I believe that this is a great response to the artists work and allows her to get the recognition she deserves as well as teaching new people about her work. I believe that the more people that are educated about an artists work then the better; surely a great aspect of art is being able to share it with others and to be able to celebrate an artist’s life.