pop culture - Cherise Henry Co.

january >> 2013
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Are We Seeing a Resurgence of
Rogue Nipples or Just Boob Blunders?
BY // CHERISE HENRY
bonnie magazine
{sacramento’s lifestyle magazine for women}
ip
eN ?
S
pop culture
26
january // 2013
T
here goes
yet another
celebrity-status
woman with
her nipples out for
all to see… and talk
about. It seems any
time we turn on the
boob tube these days
– no pun intended - or
flip through tabloids
while waiting in line
at the grocery store, a
new nip slip offender
is on the loose.
27
What is this “rogue nipple” really all about? Some
type of attention-grabbing publicity stunt? Is this
a fashion statement, perhaps? Women today are
empowered more than ever to do what they want,
when they want, where they want, and how they
want. It could be that simple.
But is it?
The rogue nipple has a spectrum of extremes.
Madonna, the fashion and music icon of the 90s,
purposefully wore outrageous clothing to make dramatic fashion statements exuding sex. Nothing was
too revealing for miss diva or her famous designer
Jean Claude.
Then there are the attention-seeking b-list reality
stars with no shame in giving the world a daily peep
show. With just the right lighting... meet nipple one
and nipple two. Hello.
No, this is no oopsie-daisy. We’re amidst a pop culture phenomenon influenced by the shock effect of
high fashion runways combined with the obsession
of attention-seeking opportunities.
Young female celebrities are taking haute couture
of Paris runways along with the shock effect of toptier fashion and bringing it to everyday street wear.
Whether derived from insecurities or obsession
with other celebrities, it’s all about shock value and
a way to get noticed in the midst of all the other
noise we see and hear on TV, magazines, and social
media channels like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.
It’s not just about giving women a feeling of empowerment to be sexy and a little rough around the
edges. It’s more than that.
continued on page 28
{sacramento’s lifestyle magazine for women}
bonnie magazine
28
january >> 2013
Singer Rihanna, Actress Elizabeth Hurley, and Supermodel Naomi Campbell sport the newest accessory — nip slips!
SLIP OF THE NIP
continued from page 27
Angelina Martin, director of fashion at the International Academy of Design and Technology
Sacramento campus, says this is
the fusion of fashion and music
along with the liberation of
women as performers expressing
their own ideas of place through
song and design.
“It’s all about persona and image,” said Martin. “Women are
being provocative, looking to
entice the male gaze by showing what’s unattainable through
sexually explicit fashion statements.”
Martin says a woman’s body
and her features are seen as the
gateway to get to know her.
“Women embrace the beauty of
their bodies to show who she is
as an artist,” says Martin. “At the
same time, it is unfortunate that
“Women are being provocative, looking to entice
the male gaze by showing what’s unattainable
through sexually explicit fashion statements.”
Angelina Martin // director of fashion at the International
Academy of Design and Technology Sacramento campus
women feel they must portray
themselves in this light in order
to break into the industry.”
show they have a voice.
And my-oh-my, rogue nipple - we
can sure hear you loud and clear!
Women choose how they express themselves through what
they wear, despite what others
may think. Some say it’s the
revolution of women over time
– from the flappers in the 30s to
the Leave it to Beaver women of
the 50s, to the free spirit women
of the 70s… it’s a way women
have expressed themselves to
But before you put your
headlights out to speak to the
world, it’s worth it to consider
the great designer Miuccia
Prada’s words of wisdom: “What
you wear is how you present
yourself to the world, especially
today, when human contacts
are so quick. Fashion is instant
language.” b
Slips on the dance floor are common,
but Nancy Grace had a different kind
of slip that did not award her a perfect
score on Dancing with the Stars.
bonnie magazine
{sacramento’s lifestyle magazine for women}