I came across this picture of bridesmaids in National Geographic - it accompanied a story about brutal conflict in Northern Nigeria, where in the name of religion regular people on the street suffer from horrific violence regularly. I was really struck by this photo, mostly because I am rather ignorant about Africa, a continent I have never visited. I was surprised by the "current" nature of the pink suede platform pumps, but I was mostly surprised after I had read the context, the daily violence in these women's lives.
I constantly wonder what drives the desire for fashion and embellishment, and what drives my own never ending desire for new clothes, shoes, make-up. Look at these beautiful young women: they may live in circumstances most of us can't begin to imagine, yet they are dressed beautifully for the occasion. They either love beautiful things so much they simply won't live without them, or the beautiful things are a way to defy their shocking every day reality.
Fashion has a formidable hold over women, that's one thing I know for sure.
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