Celebrity Culture and its Influence on Fashion

There's no way one can deny the influence of celebrities on American culture - particularly on fashion and the aspirations of their fans. I wish it weren't so. Some of the most popular have proven lately that they aren't worthy role models.

I used to think that Beyoncé had a pretty good handle on her image. She's shown above, glamorous in H&M's new summer advertising campaign - just as her single, Bow Down, marks a tasteless turn in her image. As the Telegraph said, "Say what you will about Beyoncé, this is a woman who throughout her phenomenally successful singing career, has nailed the powerful, sassy superwoman act down to a tee. So much so, that none other than Barack Obama hailed her as being the perfect role model for his two daughters." I wonder if he would say that today.

One could not miss the news this week that she is now calling herself "Mrs. Carter" in a bow to her subservient marital status. In Bow Down, she sings,  "I know when you were little girls/You dreamed of being in my world/Don't forget it, don't forget it/Respect that, bow down, b**ches," with the refrain “bow down, b**ches” aggressively and tediously repeated throughout her song with a message. It's a message that could backfire on her - at least with her older admirers, like me, who thought of her as a classy, independent woman who sang the right message for young, "single ladies." I am very disappointed in her. She's certainly no longer a Gucci-type gal.

What's gone wrong with cute, little Justin Bieber? The clean, parent-approved kid from Canada seems to have morphed into a thug. Why were his fans kept waiting for two hours before he showed up on stage weeks ago? Then he collapsed during a subsequent performance. Were there drugs involved? At that point, I felt sorry for the kid - until he crudely flashed his underwear in a photo he tweeted from the hospital. He has been kicked out of ritzy hotels, fought with photographers, tattooed his body, turned to a vocabulary laced with profanity, and bragged while blasting his critics. It looks to me like he might be on his first steps toward Lindsay Lohan's disastrous life. Child star gone bad? Where are his parents?

Here "she" is, showing up for court with her clueless attorney (the one who told Billy Bush she is an "iconic Hollywood treasure"). Not everyone arriving for a court appearance for a car accident she caused is showered with glitter. Given her shopping habits (she went shopping after she accepted a plea agreement that includes a 90-day stint in rehab), you would think she could have worn something a bit less revealing. The white two-piece dress was gorgeous - and entirely inappropriate. I doubt 90 days in rehab will change her ways. If I had been the judge, I would have given her a sentence she could remember. Apparently she has forgotten the prior ones. In her case, I won't ask, "Where are her parents?"

I'm glad I don't have children. Raising kids today is a challenge. Our society seems to hold out celebrities like these as role models. Beyoncé and Bieber have been cited frequently as worthy idols. LiLo could have stayed on that track, but she jumped off the train long ago.

Back to my original blurb/rant. Beyoncé's H&M campaign will be prominently featured during her upcoming world tour. In the print advertisements and billboards, she will be referenced as, “Beyoncé as Mrs. Carter in H&M.” Known for its edgy corporate branding, is H&M putting its stamp of approval on her message or just her look?

Photos courtesy of WWD, Justin Bieber, and Vanity Fair