HOT BODIES, COOL STYLES

Style guru Ted Polhemus shows how body adornment has been natural to all peoples until modern times, and why we are now reverting to our roots. After analyzing the various forms of decoration, he shows how we are influenced by the exotic, drawing from tribal or Far Eastern models, the naturalness of artifice in deliberate body decoration and the artifice of the natural look, and how our unprecedented freedom to choose how to decorate ourselves makes us masters of our own identities. Men and women around the world are embracing body decoration as never before. Nose rings have entered the boardroom and navel piercings or tattoos at the base of the spine are de rigueur. Ultraviolet face and hair paint, hair extensions, bleached crewcuts, henna design on hands and feet, ornaments made from found objects, even plastic surgery – the range of creative options gives the singleminded makers of style and the more uncertain majority the opportunity to join in. Photographs not only reveal the key designs and creative techniques, but also reflect the global fashion for photography that tells a story. A practical advice section, specially commissioned from Betti Marenko, and including body preparation, healing times and safety tips, provides a valuable guide for those acqui