A promotional photo of Dior has caused great controversy in recent days.
This photo was taken nine years ago, when Chen Man not only took this photo, but also created a series of 12 works for i-D magazine called "Whatever the Weather", with this set of photos, Chen Man began to go to the international fashion industry.
Now that the photograph is on display again, we can see the value and significance of such photographs in the eyes of Westerners.
But now it has caused a huge controversy, and behind the controversy is the awakening of cultural aesthetic consciousness under the changes of the times.
As the godmother of fashion, Hong Huang also commented on the Chen Man photo incident.
First, affirm the value of this set of photos. That is to say, Chen Man and even China's fashion photography has a foothold in the world. This is a photograph that has entered the history of photography around the world. Therefore, the West is extremely appreciative of this kind of photograph.
Second, I don't think this photo is beautiful, but it has enough impact. The so-called impact is to amplify Asians and Chinese characteristics.
Third, this group of photos is Chen Man's means of entering the international fashion industry, taken in order to make an international debut, with a private purpose in it. Chen Man is a clever opportunist.
Fourth, do not consider it insulting H. Hong Huang gave examples from the movies "Titanium" and "Squid Game".
For such an evaluation, Hong Huang, as the godmother of fashion, also looks at this matter from a more objective standpoint.
However, it is obvious that chen man's group of photos has not been recognized by most ordinary people today, and it has been questioned and criticized by some official media.
This inevitably reminds people of the Marvel movie "Shangqi", which made a lot of noise a while ago, and the choice of male and female protagonists in it did not arouse the audience's good feelings, but it was chosen by Marvel, which was also caused by aesthetic deviations.
This is the choice of the West's inherent stereotypes of the Easterners.
For Chen Man personally, before taking this group of photos, he has been well-known in China, but he has not yet had a great reputation in the world, if he follows the domestic aesthetic model, then Chen Man may still not be recognized by the West, let alone have a status in the world, that is, in 2012, he took such a group of photos, and only then did he start his international journey, with a strong personal purpose.
But he would not have imagined that nine years later, he would be criticized by the public.
As a big-name photographer, she often takes photos for domestic star artists, and in the past, she was taking pictures for a certain star, but now she is suffering from criticism.
And Chen Man will not fail to understand the domestic aesthetic, but Chen Man's ambition is obviously not so, but has a greater goal and ambition, the domestic fashion industry is obviously not able to integrate with the international, and finally made compromise concessions in the Western-dominated fashion industry, of course, the final result proves that Chen Man's choice is right, at least she has succeeded internationally.
To this day, the major international fashion exhibitions and catwalks are still the same as those photos taken by Chen Man, so the inherent impression of the aesthetics of the East in the world has not changed, but it is not what it used to be, because behind it is the change of the entire environment, with the support of strength, so that ordinary people begin to self-awaken, resist, and promote our own national culture and national beauty.
Among them, the promotion of oriental pastoral culture by ordinary people represented by Li Ziqi has been loved and welcomed by international netizens, which was unimaginable in the past.
The "Chinese Festival" traditional culture program launched by Henan Satellite TV is also respected, and now the changes in the environment, cultural self-confidence and awakening, should be launched our own fashion and aesthetic standards, breaking the inherent impression of the West, rather than blindly pandering.
From the Chen Man photo incident to the domestic popular entertainment culture, in fact, in the past for a long time, they have copied the West, South Korea and Japan, because they are mature enough and have the right to speak, so it is understandable to copy and cater to them at the beginning, after all, our own is not mature enough, and we do not have our own system.
But so far, we will find that there are many problems in the culture dominated by such a system, taking the entertainment industry as an example, it is not the problem of a person or a team, but the problem of the entire industry, and the same is true in the fashion industry.
Under the principle of eclecticism, we must absorb those essential parts, but we must also abandon those dross, develop our own culture, establish our own aesthetic standards, and let our culture and aesthetics have a certain right to speak in the world, rather than compromise and concessions.