Centre Stage

William Shakespeare once wrote in his monologue,‘As You Like It’:

“All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages.”

We would all have different opinions towards this phrase. Some may deem this as looking at life as superficial, or fake; some may find this viewpoint as an obscure notion, or a dreamer’s speech; some may wholly understand and relate tothe metaphorical gesture; or some may disagree yet acknowledge these words.

However thine or mine perception shalt be casted upon this phrase, it does not really matter – we are only going to touch on this on a very literal level; we are actually going to create an imaginary scene now: there is a seemingly limitless, physical stage and we are to place the world onto it. You are the lead of this cast, you are to play yourself and all you have to do and say in each scene is one thing: Accidentally bump into someone and say: “I’m sorry.”

*CURTAIN RISES*

First scene: you are at home.

*Bump*

You bumped into a family member, you say your line:

“I’m sorry.”

Second scene: you are hanging out with your friends.

*Bump*

This time you bumped into one of your close friends.

“I’m sorry.”

Third scene: you are at work.

*Bump*

Uh-oh, it was your boss you bumped into.

“I’m sorry.” 

Final scene: you are at the zebra crossing, the lights are flashing, a flurry of people and… *Bump*

“I’m sorry.”

Who did you bump into? Did you actually manage to see their face?

*CURTAIN CLOSES* (Audience applause)

Now the question is: who were you at each scene? Yes, yourself, but what exact role of yourself were you?

What did those words mean to you?

What did those words mean to those that you bumped into?

The point here is, albeit being ourselves at any given time, we have derivatives of ourselves that are ‘oncall’ as according to our surroundings. It is all the same, from a mother or afather, to Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn – and not everyone will see each and every of these derivatives.

There comes a time when we all wonder who we really are. Who’s the real me? Audrey Hepburn starred a magnificent role in “Breakfastat Tiffany’s”.  Holly Golightly,spontaneous, glamorous and fun-loving New York party girl turns out to be a small town married young wife name Lula Mae Burnes. Lula Mae Burnes wanted a different life, a different role to play and became Holly Golightly.

“You’re wrong. She is a phony. But on the other hand you’re right. She isn’t a phony because she’s a real phony. She believes all this crap she believes. You can’t talk her out of it.”

This quote from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" really makes one think about it. Holly Golightly is a typical example for our theme today. When we play a role in our own lives, and we really believe in it, does it become who we really are? A lot of the times our lives forces us to play a certain role, whether it’s to be someone’s mother, lover or daughter. We always act accordingly because there are expectations, but does it make it any less us?  I think whatever we do, there is always an element of us in it. Just like how Audrey Hepburn plays the role of Holly Golightly. 

 

Every girl loves her in the movie, despite the factthat she really is a gold digger and a high end prostitute, she’s still an icon. Why? Of course Audrey Hepburn is beautiful, but a lot of women are beautiful. Personally I feel the most special feature about her is her classy elegance. It just stays with her no matter what role she does. This is also the reason why I picked to recreate her style for this blog.  I have always love Audrey Hepburn because elegance is not something you can mimic. Ever since I was young, my grandmother has taught me that beauty is not just from how you look, but also how you act. In her “when I was young” stories, she told us how men was not attracted because of beauty but because of elegance and how classy one is.

“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with passing years.”  – Audrey Hepburn

The dress chosen with an exaggerated detail on the shoulder is to create the glamorous look that Audrey Hepburn had in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Although instead of the typical black dress, a bold, bright orange was selected to add a bit of spice to it. The dress was bought from a local store in Hong Kong that is not branded.  We don't have to wear expensive clothes to look expensive. It all depends on how you carry it and you can look like a million dollars. The shoes and thin belt worn was showcased in T's previous blog Enchant Me. 

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." - Audrey Hepburn 

"If I'd observe all the rules, I'd never have got anywhere." - Marilyn Monroe 

Marilyn Monroe was chosen because of her symbolism during the height of her career. She was perceived largely as a 'sex symbol', but also, this correlated to a number of other perceptions: her independence/success as an individual female; her somewhat 'rebellion' against societal norms; her sweet yet sexy charisma (she was once described as symbolising what is the 'grey' area - she is neither an angel nor a devil; she is angelic-looking, yet she has her underlying rebellion).

 

She also signified the womanly body - her curves, charisma and atmosphere. Her logic, intellect and spoken words established her further in her calibre as, not just a woman, but also as a person; an icon; an inspiration. Hence the reason for the outfit selection of a ruffles-sleeved top and a tight-fitting, pencil skirt:

a) it embodies the embrace of a woman's curve, regardless of what 'amount' we have on our bodies, a woman was naturally created with small/big/eminent/subtle curves.

 

b) Ruffles. They are classical, beautiful, yet unconventional. No one set of ruffles and curves will be the same as the next; there is always a surprise. Like Marilyn's quote, she does not follow the rules; the 'straight line. Ruffles, then, can somewhat depict individuality yet also, the many different aspects of it. It also adds a grandeur aura to the watchful eye. :)

 

"I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and my talent." - Marilyn Monroe

Like a performer, we ‘perform’ variations of ourselves. If you noticed, the terms ‘perform’ and ‘performer’ are used instead of ‘act’ or ‘actor/actress.’ In this somehow philosophical context, there is a fine distinction between the two sets of words. We are all given roles throughout the stages in life, i.e. from birth, school, work etc. However, an actor reenacts a given role - a performer portrays a given role. (Think about it. It took me awhile as well, to word this properly!)

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – OscarWilde 

Are you going to let people decide what role you are to play in your own life or are you going to regain control and take the lead. Remember this: you are the leading roles in your lives and if you are not happy with it, change the story - change the plot! You have that power to do so and the most important thing is for you to live happy. 

Fun fact: Did you know that Marilyn Monroe was originally casted for the role of Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"?

Cycle two comes to an end and next week and we have T's individual blog coming up. Follow us on Twitter: @dashionhime and Instagram: @dashion_hime for updates! If you have recreated your favourite styles, hashtag us #dashionhime and we can give you a shoutout! :) 

♥ "It's all about how you put it together" - T & J.