Digital magic can readily erase any blemish, any wrinkle, any evidence of authenticity and vulnerability. But where’s the beauty in that?
This personal reflection is part of a series called Turning Points, in which writers explore what critical moments from this year might mean for the year ahead. You can read more by visiting the Turning Points series page.
Turning Point: In April, Vogue Philippines featured on its cover the 106-year-old Indigenous tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od, the oldest person to appear on the magazine’s front page.
The fashion show was in full swing: beautiful young women walking down the catwalk in sparkly dresses as the sun set beyond the ramparts of Spilberk Castle in the Moravia region of the Czech Republic. It was a recent summer evening, warm in the way such nights are after a scorching day. I sat, sipping my champagne and feeling no pain at being a spectator instead of a participant. I was not here to model. I didn’t have to look perfect.
I noted the uncomfortable high-heeled shoes, the hip-swinging gait with knees lifted high and precisely placed feet that always reminds me of dressage horses, the slight sheen of sweat on the otherwise impeccable faces. This was a degree of perfection rarely seen in nature. It was almost as if an Instagram filter — one that conjured large, slightly tilted eyes, tiny noses, plump lips and perfect skin — had blanketed the show and spawned 20 perfect copies.
