THE NEW BEAUTY

A modern look at Beauty, Culture and Fashion

The new book from Gestalten

The New Beauty -Gestalten 2021 - Cover

©Gestalten

www.gestalten.com

THE NEW BEAUTY

A MODERN LOOK AT BEAUTY, CULTURE AND FASHION

The new book from Gestalten

The need to distil its ephemeral essence into a timeless definition and idealise certain characteristics created some of the first beauty standards, some of which still shape our aesthetic imagination today. From the golden ratio and the idealised proportions of the Vitruvian Man, designed by Da Vinci on the ancient model, to a noble pallor made up with life-threatening lead white, Rubenian corpulence and eccentric wigs, to the edgy bob of the 'New Woman' in the 1920s, David Bowie's androgynous art figures, the Clean Chic of the 1990s - our idea of who we consider beautiful cannot be reduced to a formula. Our ideals of beauty are changing, but they have not disappeared. Today, plastic surgery also helps to model the ideal image of a face with high, prominent cheeks, full brows and even fuller lips. 

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©Gestalten

And yet a revolution is underway. Our concept of beauty is more diverse than ever before. Taboos that have not been discussed are now part of the public discourse.

Beauty today no longer depends on conformity and s rigid ideals set by society, but is a means of emphasising uniqueness and one's own identity. Beauty can be poetic, raw, challenging, gentle. Today's beauty is paradoxical and, especially through social media, one old ideal is not replaced by a new one, but by many. 

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©Gestalten

"The New Beauty" captures a pivotal moment of change in the beauty industry. Beauty reflects broad social issues and can - optimistically - be a vehicle for change. Make-up has long since evolved beyond retouching perceived blemishes and become a new form of expression Interviews feature pioneers such as Dior's Peter Philips and Gucci's Thomas de Kluyver.

Beauty is also self-care and is closely linked to our emotional state. The beauty industry is wasteful and produces vast amounts of plastic and disposable products - a young generation is revisiting traditional practices while breaking new ground in natural cosmetics. Even if the wellness and mindfulness culture has been homogeneous in the past, change is also taking place here. From beauty salons that specialise in skincare for people with dark skin to spas that are also designed for people with disabilities, wellness should no longer be a luxury. 

The book makes it clear that appearances will always change, but beauty will not disappear.

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©Gestalten

KARI MOLVAR is a US writer and editor with a particular focus on the interplay between beauty discourse and culture. She began her career as a backstage reporter looking for the latest beauty trends at New York Fashion Week, and now writes about beauty rituals, fragrances and wellness culture in her regular features for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Vogue and The Wall Street Journal. Her first book, Fountain of Youth, was published by gestalten in 2020. 

THE NEW BEAUTY

A MODERN LOOK AT BEAUTY, CULTURE AND FASHION

Written by Kari Molvar

Editors: gestalten & Kari Molvar

Features: Full color, hardcover, stitch bound, 224 pages

Format: 21 × 26 cm | 8 ¼ × 10 ¼ inches

ISBN: 978-3-89955-860-9

@gestalten @kari_molvar #thenewbeauty

www.gestalten.com