Luma Grothe By Ellen von Unwerth Celebrates A Sensual Body For Vogue Brazil September 2014
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Ellen von Unwerth contributes another body-loving editorial to Vogue Brazil’s September 2014. (See Alessandro Ambrosio in ‘Mais Amor, Por Fabor’). Model Luma Grothe is styled by Pedro Sales, with beauty by Silvio Giorgio.
I marvel at the sensual openness of Brazilian society, with an embrace of nudity that would never happen in America. Turning to the book ‘Brazil: The Once and Future Country’, author Marshall C. Eakin observes:
As a rule, Brazilians are simply less inhibited and uptight about the human body and physical contact than peoples of the developed world. The string bikinis (tanga), for example, for which Brazil is famous, are worn by women of all shapes and sizes. The willingness to expose flesh, whether one’s physique be fit and trim or fat and flabby, reflects a people much more comfortable with the human body. This “laid back” attitude, however, does not stop the wealthy from resorting to cosmetic surgery. Rio de Janeiro has become the world capital for plastic surgery, and Ivo Pitanguy is its best-known plastic surgeon. The affluent are obviously not completely comfortable with physical imperfections.
Brazilians are also a much more expressive and physical people than North Americans and Northern Europeans. When friends meet, they invariably greet with physical contact. Men shake hands and embrace… Like so many Latin peoples, Brazilians also have a sense of personal space that often seems non existent to North Americans. Many times I have seen a Brazilian (literally) back a North American around a room as the latter tries to move away from the former. Brazilians want to be close and touching. North Americans want to keep more distance.
