Giovanna Battaglia: Selfie Absorbed
Giovanna Battaglia: Selfie Absorbed
By Megan Parker
In the March 2014 issue of W Magazine, the worlds of popular culture and haute couture merge in the editorial "Selfie Absorbed" as Emma Summerton captures Malaika Firth in addition to twin models Cora and Riley Emmanuel — mid pose — in the process of taking the ultimate selfie. The models are adorned by designer pieces handpicked by Giovanna Battaglia which invoke a strong and powerful image in contrast to the mundane yet modern suburban setting. The editorial is accompanied by the rhetoric, “If your #LookofTheDay is not on Instagram, did anyone actually see it?” which is an undoubtedly relevant question to ask in a world in which every move made and every outfit worn could potentially be documented in a strategically orchestrated series of Instagram uploads.
While the critics of social media would argue that the selfie phenomenon serves to increase the level of narcissism prevalent in contemporary society, it is alternatively undeniable that the selfie has established itself as a significant contributor to the globalization of the fashion industry. It has allowed fashion devotees to present their personal style on a global stage and achieve instant fame without theoretically setting foot outside of their front door. I applaud Giovanna Battaglia and Emma Summerton for translating a sociological phenomenon into the universal language of fashion which can be understood and is open to interpretation by all who view it. The obvious answer to the proposition posed by "Selfie Absorbed" would therefore be, “No, not anyone who really matters.”
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