Captured on 19.04.2024
"Image and style in politics" - the new book by professor Lyubomir Stoykov has the ambition to integrate precisely these basic values in political communication and political behavior, reported BGNES.
Apart from superstars in cinema, TV series and contemporary music, political leaders of the world are always in the focus of public attention and media. But not just with your decisions, your outbursts or your fights. The clothing of presidents, prime ministers, kings and queens, even dictators has for centuries excited and "spoken" to citizens, viewers, voters. The fashion in their being can be "both mother and stepmother", raising them or sharply lowering their rating. A brooch, a tie can be both a strong message and an occasion for ridicule.
BGNES spoke with the famous fashion and image expert Prof. Lyubomir Stoykov about his new book, which is aimed precisely at the way of dressing of the main actors in world politics in the last two centuries.
"The working title of my new book is 'Image and Style in Politics' and my ambition is to integrate precisely these core values into political communication and political behaviour. Image and style. The image, the public image, where I touch very deeply and very innovatively on the topic of "politainment" and give a new definition to this mixing of the show and the politics, in which I now include the lifestyle and the very goal - to attract a larger electorate", said Prof. Stoykov.
The second part of the book is a cross-section of the clothing style of some of the biggest, most famous and most influential politicians of the last two centuries.
"There is even a section for dictators, totalitarian fashion - Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin. There is a separate section for conventional style, for unconventional, for innovative. But the main conclusion, or at least the main message of this book, is that clothing is an extremely important, powerful factor, both aesthetic and non-verbal, to reveal the essence, the essentiality, the culture, the mentality, and above all, the attitude of a politician to that, which is happening. And to society, but also to individual voters," shared the fashion expert.
Prof. Stoykov also notes great symbolism and messages carried by politicians' accessories, for example, the famous brooches of former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. "The symbolism is huge with Madeline Albright and with Mao Zedong and with Ronald Reagan - these things are all curious," he pointed out.
According to him, the fashion magazines that criticize Donald Trump for his excessively long ties or concrete haircut fail to understand one thing - he has always been this way.
"He wanted to be different and he doesn't care if it's fashionable or not. It's important for him to be recognizable, to be noticed and from here - remembered!" emphasized Prof. Stoykov.
The fashion analyst recalled a story from the White House contender's childhood. "Trump was very young when his father, a construction contractor, opened a huge bridge with a lavish celebration and cheerleaders. Then little Donny asks him: Ok, but where is the most important person, the one who made the bridge. His father replies: Ah, you're asking me about the architect? Well, there he stands alone - curled up. And Trump can't believe his eyes, and then he vows never to be a "carp-carp", never to be in isolation. Even if there is no reason for him to make a strong impression," added Prof. Stoykov. /BGNES