A most interesting French meditation on fashion, ethics, purpose and identity lies at the core of Noe’s film for the ‘Who’s Next’ fashion show in Paris. The creative purpose of the film is to feature fashions from up and coming graduate designers.

Psychologically, the film probes the evolution of five decades of female style evolution from Woodstock, with the phrase ‘I leave the revolution behind’. A single actress plays six different parts, uttering phrases that are anchored in our concept of the Smart Sensuality woman.

The timing of the video is perfect, bringing fashion into our ongoing discussion of the historical, global submission of women. Just yesterday I received my good friend and body psychotherapist Ellen Gayda’s response to Taryn Andreatta’s ‘The Offering’. I haven’t read it yet, but a fundamental question that Ellen and I have been exploring in our own dialogue about women concerns ‘intention’ and ‘purpose’ of our actions.

(See Body Psychotherapist Ellen Gayda & Anne Enke Agree | Women Owning Our Bodies Is A Fight to the Finish. link)

Indeed, this is lofty weekend talk for fashionistas and photographers alike — especially in America, where we exist to buy stuff. And it becomes the core question of AOC’s relationship with artists, designers, photographers and consumers.

What is the intention of your action? What response to you want from me in viewing your image, in buying your product or embracing your brand? As an artist or brand, do you have any values? What are they? Is this strictly a financial transaction between us? Are you really dedicated to fixing my flaws? Why do you use disabling words like ‘perfect’? What is ‘perfection’ in your brand, business or artistic playbook?

In the Woodstock years, women like myself were asking those very questions. In my case, I did it in a Bill Blass sleeveless, red sheath dress with a keyhole neckline and stilettos. We consumed, but many of us also explored mentally our relationship with the fashion system.

We participated with style, but as more equal partners — and this evolution gained momentum with the rise of the truly fearless size 4-6, muscles-evident, glamazon supermodels.

Read Naomi, Cindy, Helena, Eva & Yasmin | Jonas Akerlund | Harper’s Bazaar UK December 2011 link

Noe reminds us how those times are totally lost. Pacified passengers, we are ‘back from Woodstock with our credit cards’. I’ve watched this video four times now and it summarizes perfectly the reason Anne of Carversville exists. Women can continue to leave the revolution behind, as we have done and Noe underscores. Or we can ask ourselves if we are more than the sum of our possessions.

‘Of course we are’, you say. ‘Then stop being submissive, little robot girls,’ I respond. The choice is yours. Anne