Capitalist styles seen in N. Korea fashion

AFP – A policeman in Pyongyang. Cosmetic surgery, skinny jeans and hoop earrings are in fashion in North Korea …

SEOUL (AFP) – Cosmetic surgery, skinny jeans and hoop earrings are in fashion in North Korea as the pursuit of female beauty remains unbound by the communist state’s chronic food shortages, an online newspaper reported.

Daily NK, a North Korea-specific Internet newspaper, quoted sources in the North saying that although facelifts are illegal state surgeons are performing cosmetic surgeries in secret in return for bribes.

Doctors receive 2,000-3,000 North Korean won (officially 14-21 US dollars) for an upper eyelid surgery which can remove excess fatty deposits that appear as puffiness, it said.

“Upper eyelid suggeries and cosmetic tattoos on eyebrows, lips and the corners of eyes are widespread in North Korea,” a source from Pyongyang was quoted as saying.

“Many women want plastic surgeries regardless of deprivation and food shortages,” the source added.

One kilo of rice costs 2,000 won in the North, according to Daily NK, although the reported exchange rate for the Northern Won is said to be widely different from the actual rate used in Pyongyang.

The North used to ban women from wearing jeans or mini skirts, having flashy hairdos and other forms of “capitalist decadence.”

Its drab socialist concept of female beauty is traditionally limited to toneless makeup, ear-length haircuts and ankle hemlines.

But restrictions eased, reportedly on orders from Kim Jong-Un, the youngest son of leader Kim Jong-Il and heir apparent, the online newspaper said.

Some upper-class women in Pyongyang are now daringly walking in skinny jeans in the street, it said.

FASHION EXHIBITION

Lot’s of fashionpeople and a little – emphasis on little – demonstration in front of Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam on the night of the 24th of January. Clearly, there was something going on there. And that something, received considerable attention by the press.

What was going on? As you probably read, fashiondesigners Bas Kosters, And Beyond, Antoine Peters, LEW and Hester Vlamings designed outfits for a Fur Free Fashion exhibition. This particular night, the 24th of January, the opening of the exhibition occured. Five outfits created by the designers were exhibited in the garden’s threeclimate greenhouse, which had never occured before.

At the stroke of six, the exhibition was opened and tons of people came to visit. It started with a tour through the threeclimate greenhouse by the special tourgirls. After seeing the impressive outfits, people enjoyed a glass of wine and sat by the fire outside. Not much later Fiona Hering, fashion editor, received the first edition of Fur Free magazine (in collaboration with GlamCult magazine) handed to her by Jojanneke van der Veer and Femke Dekker, the initiators of Fur Free Fashion.

With a big smile on their faces, the people left Hortus Botanicus when the music stopped and the staff decided to call it a night. Of course, they didn’t leave with empty hands. Everybody received the cutest tote bag designed by Atti, which contained the Fur Free magazine and a Lush shampoo.

Thanks everyone, for visiting and making the night as beautiful as it was. Take a look at the videoreport made by Miriam van t Veer and Pieter Hoogland.

THE FUR FREE EXHIBITION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF:
Bont voor Dieren, Nicole van Gemert, Claudia Linssen, Ganbaroo PRPR, Mo Veld, Caroline Pluym, Chris Braam, Mirik Milan, Glamcult Studio, Nicole Martens, Experimental Jetset, Patrick van Haperen, Lotte Esmee Cuypers, Roelie, Evalien & Elisabeth van Gemeren, Charlotte Versteeg, Dora Kloppenburg, Maartje van Nimwegen, Red Light Radio, Caroline Fuchs, Maarten Spruyt, Deux d’Amsterdam, ATTI, Living Projects, Hortus Botanicus, The New Motion, It’s Organic, Barkers Bookings, Lush Cosmetics.