Frida Kahlo fashion is not the exclusive territory of fancy dress parties, but has come to represent dressing with purpose. The Mexican artist was born in 1907 and was known for her compellingly autobiographical work, as well as her ability to use fashion as a way to communicate her creative ideals and political expression.
Married to one of Mexico’s most renowned artists, Diego Rivera, Kahlo’s art may not have been quite as famous at the time, but her paintings and self-portraits have gone on to become equally revered. This recognition is partly because the artist’s images deal directly with her personal suffering around her turbulent marriage, multiple miscarriages, polio condition and the disability she suffered after a tragic streetcar accident.
Throughout all of this trauma, Kahlo maintained a powerful presence that is as palpable in her work as in her wardrobe. Her self-portraits in particular have become instrumental in shaping our notion of Frida Kahlo outfits, conveying a sense of strength that is also mirrored through her clothing. Perhaps what was most memorable about the style icon Frida Kahlo was her ability to turn clothes into works of art, to experiment boldly with menswear and to create a bohemian aesthetic that was fiercely her own. The artist’s tenacity and influence is evident in her outfit choices, particularly in her tendency towards vibrant colours, bold hairstyles and her outward sense of national pride.
Turning wardrobe into works of art
When Frida Khalo was just 18 years old, she was badly wounded in a devastating streetcar accident in Mexico City. Even in the face of a full body cast, however, she managed to turn this forced wardrobe addition into a work of art, by painting her cast as if it were her own personal canvas. Kahlo was known to do the same thing with her corsets as well, because she certainly wasn’t content to keep things mundane, even where her lingerie was concerned. Such is the personalised nature of Frida Kahlo fashion.
Of course, it wasn’t just through actual art that she transformed her wardrobe. In many ways, Frida Kahlo outfits were carefully crafted with respect to her circumstances. For example, after her accident, Kahlo favoured low-heeled boots for optimum comfort, and chose ankle-sweeping garments like traditional Tehuana dresses to distract from the effects of her polio. She would often inject a painterly sense into her clothing through her use of colour palette as well, reflecting her own artistic approach with natural, earthy tones and bold red highlights.
Experimenting with menswear-inspired clothing
It wasn’t only Frida Kahlo’s clever way with colour that allowed her to stand out from the crowd. In fact, the artist was well ahead of her time in many respects. In Kahlo’s early years, for instance, she experimented with wearing men's clothing – something that was seen as highly revolutionary during the early 1900s. Quickly, Frida Kahlo fashion became synonymous with three-piece suits, patterned ties and even cravats. She well and truly pre-empted the menswear tailoring trend of today.
Perhaps her most signature style of all was a crisp white shirt accessorised with bold silver jewellery. Today, this look is just as inviting as ever and, if the artist were still alive, we can imagine Jil Sander shirts and Henson earrings would both be high on her rotation. With a tendency towards menswear-inspired clothing then, the artist only further strengthened her look through those Frida Kahlo eyebrows; the combination proved a statement of incomparable power.
Bohemian fashion with a twist
Ultimately, Frida Kahlo fashion was predominantly bohemian, but with a twist. Her outfits reflected a rebellious spirit both artistically and politically speaking, so her take on the trend was both more vibrant and eccentric than many others may have dared. This was evident when her famous Mexican residence, the Blue House, was opened in 2004 and photographed by Ishiuchi Miyako. Her imagery revealed the secret contents of Kahlo’s wardrobe, including cat’s-eye sunglasses, stacked-heel boots and brightly coloured bathing suits. Suffice to say that the artist was never one to walk the road most travelled.
Kahlo’s wardrobe choices were always politically charged and reflected something about her own personal belief system. It is with this in mind that we feel she would have gravitated towards bohemian brands such as Chloé, but also revolutionary designers like Alessandro Michele at Gucci. Either way, Frida Kahlo outfits were a product of her creative and political stances and have therefore allowed us to decode more about the artist’s personality over the years. This sense of purpose feels like an art form in and of itself, which is why Kahlo has become and will remain such a force to be reckoned with in the style stakes.