#fashion magazine
Jaume Marti photographed by Allan Hamitouche.
Valentin Humbroich for Icon Magazine, photographed by Van Mossevelde + N.
Michael Wahl for Vogue Hommes, photographed by Fanny Latour-Lambert.
Peter Dupont for L’Officiel Hommes Poland, photographed by Marek Chorzepa.
Vivien Lawson for PpR Journal titled ‘Smalltown Boy’, photographed by Ana Garcia.
Matt Ardell for L’Officiel Hommes Italia, photographed by Ben Abarbanel.
Will Peltz for Mr Feelgood, photographed by Kurt Iswarienko.
Braien Vaiksaar for Hero Magazine, photographed by Szliveszter Makó.
James Turlington for Bulgari campaign, photographed by Dan Beleui.
Jack Gilinsky for CLASH Magazine, photographed by Scott West.
Valentin Humbroich for Man About Town, photographed by Christian Oita.
Diogo Gomes and Alberto Perazzolo for Man About Town, photographed by Giampaolo Sgura.
Diogo Gomes and Alberto Perazzolo for Man About Town, photographed by Giampaolo Sgura.
Louis Mayhew for Fucking Young! Online, photographed by Menelik Puryear.
Kit Butler for Man About Town, photographed by Bartek Szmigulski.
Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.
Last time, their photoshoot was wildly loved by most but criticized by some for cultural appropriation even though it was work by a Chinese photographer for a Chinese magazine that was only using Rihanna as a model (okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s mostly true). Plus, using traditional Chinese elements to create new looks is both one of Harper Bazaar China and Chen Man’s favorite themes (ex: Chen Man’s Chinese steampunk ). These people are essentially saying Chen Man should only be able to photograph “Asians” or lose her signature style.
But I digress. Even worse, this article from Bustle complains the photoshoot isn’t just problematic for being Chinese, but also for not being Chinese enough. The claim is that it’s too pan-Asian. Here’s a quote:
Rihanna’s hairstyle in this shoot, with blunt, slicked-down bangs and a bun, is reminiscent of a geisha’s traditional up-do. Although she’s not wearing a kimono, the image of Rihanna standing on a wooden foot bridge holding a paper umbrella further invites the comparison. There are also some shots where she is holding a fan.
While Chen Man does often have Japanese influences in her work, all of the elements used here can also be traced to China. I feel like most readers here will recognize the obvious elements used in this photoshoot, but here’s an introduction to elements used in this photoshoot in case someone was searching about this photoshoot and was misled.
First, Rihanna is wearing a wrap that could definitely be considered inspired by a kimono, so the author wrong even about her. But both this dress and others in the photoshoot can also be inspired by a Chinese hanfu, a predecessor to the kimono.
Peking Opera influences
As stated by the magazine itself, Rihanna’s hair in the photoshoot is mostly inspired by Peking Opera. The use of a center bang in Peking Opera is a new innovation invented by Mei Lanfang inspired by historical hairstyles. Even back then it was hip to be more “historically accurate”.
Diancui
The blue hairpins are diancui, a traditional jewelry made from bird’s feather that decorates headdresses in Peking Opera. Because the process of getting the feathers is widely decried as cruel, they are no longer being made.
Buns
Wow, has this person even seen Disney’s Mulan? Everyone has a man-bun there. Buns are definitely not exclusive to geishas or Japan. Here’s a photo of live-action Mulan actress Liu YIfei in a man-bun to remind you.
Silver jewelry
The silver jewelry of ethnic groups in Guizhou and Yunnan are another element Chen Man uses often, such as in this photoshoot with Zhao Wei and this photoshoot with Fan Bingbing photoshoot below.
Fans
The first Chinese fans were rigid fans made of first bamboos, palms, feathers, silk, cloth, and paper. , While the folding fan was first introduced to China via Japan when it was offered as a tribute back in 988 AD, it has become a common part of Chinese culture in the millennia since. There are records of Chinese folding fan makers since at least the Song Dynasty, and by the late Ming Dynasty folding fans had become the mainstream fan-style among both men and women. Paper folding fans are used to showcase calligraphy and art. They’re very commonly used in other Chinese art forms such as dance, xiangsheng, and Chinese operas. They’re also commonly used in modern pop culture. For example, the popular fan dance with SING girl group, this figure skating program by Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, and Beijing folk ballad by Zhang Yunlei.
Yan Xujia, Guo Zifan, and Zhao Lei’s Western Chamber borrows from elements of Chinese opera, including the use of fans.
Wooden foot bridge
Every civilization that has met timber has those. I have walked across make-shift wooden bridges in America.
Oil-paper umbrella–wiki page
The spread of oil-paper umbrellas was started by the invention of Yun (雲氏), wife of Luban (魯班). “Chop bamboo sticks to thin strips, covered in animal fur, closed to become a cane, opened as a cone.” But early umbrella materials were mostly feathers or silks, later replaced by paper. When oil-paper umbrellas first appeared is unknown. Some estimate that they spread across to Korea and Japan during the Tang dynasty. It was commonly called the “green oil-paper umbrella” during the Song dynasty. The popularity grew and the oil-paper umbrella became commonplace during the Ming dynasty. They are often mentioned in popular Chinese literature, most notably as the way the leads of Madame Lady Snake met.
7Sense’s umbrella dance inspired by Madame Lady Snake,
Mechanical dragons
Mechanical Chinese mythical creatures are one of Chen Man’s signature looks (see here). Here’s a photo for Zhang Ziyi with the same dragon model and even the same hat style.
additional sources:
Qian, G. (2004). Chinese Fans: Artistry and Aesthetics. United States of America: Long River Press.
Sinology Sunday: Chinese elements in Chen Man’s Rihanna photoshoot
Rihanna by Chen Man with lion dance elements With Peking Opera elements back in 2015 Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.
Sinology Sunday: Chinese elements in Chen Man’s Rihanna photoshoot Rihanna by Chen Man with lion dance elements With Peking Opera elements back in 2015 Rihanna, fondly known in China as The Queen of Shandong after at least eight of her songs were translated into places in Shandong, has once more collaborated with photographer Chen Man in yet another gorgeous photoshoot that represents the best of Chen Man.