"Back Off"

“Back Off” - polyvore collage

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Written by the late Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo brings readers to the early 2000s in Sweden where a forty year-old mystery is taken on by a journalist and his sidekick Lisbeth Salander. The original title in Swedish is Män Som Hatar Kvinnor, which literally translates to “Men Who Hate Women”. The main themes of the story is based on the prejudiced way women can be — and have been — treated by men, so it is perfect for there to be an unyielding, strong-willed, and somewhat violent lady to arise on the pages in this novel.
Lisbeth’s style is described in the book as “a pale, [very thin] young woman who had [jet black] hair as short as a fuse, and a pierced nose and eyebrows…a wasp tattoo about an inch long on her neck, a tattooed loop around the biceps of her left arm and another around her left ankle, [and]…on occasions when she had been wearing a tank top, a dragon tattoo can be seen on her left shoulder blade.” Her persona is in sync with the novel: mysterious and difficult to strike down. The second I read that descriptive paragraph about the character, I thought of the late 1970-80s punk-rock approach to her style, which can be taken on as a hint towards next year’s fashion.
Known for using tight dresses, skirts, pants, and shirts that parade the wonders of the woman’s body, the designers at Mugler persists that it’s all about forming the clothes into a sought-after silhouette and corset-tight shaper. This year, the designer featured Lady Gaga as inspiration and muse for his fall/winter 2011 ready-to-wear line, so there was no doubt that the line would be fierce, defiant, and powerful, just like Larsson’s female character.
Taking that into account as well as woman-power, I would incorporate a lot of jet black into my fashion line through leather, studs, combat boots, and ripped leggings. Tight, leather skinny jeans and pants, like those from Burberry Prorsum (pictured in my collage) would be a main part of the collection. There would be plain, loose t-shirts in both black and white with stains, rips, and DIY edits. Black hoodies, black punk-inspired cardigans and leather jackets and vests, and dusky black parkas would keep away the cold winds of fall and winter. Studded belts, cuffs, necklaces, and lace-up and leather booties is a must to add an anarchy glaze. This collection would have to promise hell to any person that gives trouble to the woman sporting these clothes.