A MODERN MUSE A MODERN MUSE written by JOANNA BRAUND Rooney Mara has become a modern muse after undergoing an astonishing transformation taking on the role of Lisbeth Salander in the American film adaption of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Despite success in previous roles such as Mark Zuckerberg’s ex-girlfriend in The Social Network, she has not stood out on screen or on the red carpet. Fortunately, this changed when she prepared to play the Swedish punk computer hacker, Salander. She was hardly recognizable with dyed dark hair, a partially shaved head, multiple piercings and bleached eyebrows—a drastic change from her previously pretty and preppy style and long curly brown hair. Though it is a well-known series, Mara has been recognized for how she has embraced the outlandish character and used this to accessorize her elegant style. Mara pairs her newly dark and cropped haircut with bright red lipstick and neutral-coloured structured dresses with cutout details. The way she glamourizes the edgy punk style has not only received attention on the red carpet but has also inspired designers in their runway and wearable collections. Calvin Klein’s collection at New York Fashion Week was very much inspired by Mara and the style from Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Many models emulated Lisbeth Salander’s recognizable dark hair and highcropped bangs. The other looks seem to be more inspired by the actress with clean lines in dark colours and have more of a feminine touch to Salander’s tom-boyish distressed punk outfits. The collection is fairly minimalistic but the elegant lines are enhanced by Mara’s fresh edge with the use of metallic belts, thicker fabric and hints of texture. Mara sat in the front row of the show in a black dress with a black cutout top, an incredibly predictive choice. H&M has also recently launched a collection inspired by Mara and her character. The retailer has been very excited to support the Swedish novel and collaborate with Trish Summerville, the costume designer for the movie. The collection features dark coloured urban wear with distressed and punk details. Denim, leather, and cotton are layered in a grunge-style that captures the character while remaining wearable. There have been mixed reactions to the collection with some accusing the company of glamourizing sexual assault victims. Though the clothes are based on a narrative and do aim to tell that story, the clothes do not explicitly carry any message about sexual assault. The company has taken this complaint seriously and apologized for possibly offending the persons involved. Perhaps Rooney Mara will inspire you to take some risks. It may not mean bleaching your eyebrows but updating your look can inspire your own work and quite possibly someone else’s.
FASHION & LIFESTYLE SOCIETY
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