Strange muses | Julia Frazer

As the years have progressed, the concept of the muse has morphed from that of ancient Greek goddesses invoked by famous poets such as Homer and Virgil. Muses today have traded the long draped gowns of their predecessors for edgy haircuts and smart suits.  Gone are Calliope, Clio, Erato, and Euterpe. Muses now sport names like Jane Birkin, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Edie Sedgwick. The word muse is used to describe the glittering, aspirational socialites who engender excellence from top couture houses. The names of the most famous of muses are emblazoned in the annals of fashion history. However, the concept of the muse seems to have evolved once more to something beyond the ideal of the beautiful woman.~~Karl Lagerfeld has never had a shortage of inspiration for his iconic collections. His most recent muse, a newcomer to the fashion world, has been garnering a great deal of attention.  She is delicate and petite with large blue eyes, and she rarely smiles. The mysterious Choupette has lived with the head designer of Chanel for the past year and has since served as inspiration for Lagerfeld’s recent work.Despite the fact that she lives with one of the most notorious names in fashion, Choupette will never be able to wear the clothes Lagerfeld designs. This is because she is actually a purebred Siamese cat.Lagerfeld has developed an almost obsessive interest in the cat, who has her own Twitter account as well as two personal maids. Lagerfeld has had cat-inspired photo shoots, such as a recent spread in W. In January 2012, Lagerfeld showed a couture collection full of blue garments reminiscent of Choupette’s baby-blues. Actress and former model Diane Kruger confirms in an interview with Vanity Fair that “an entire collection was inspired by his cat’s eyes.” According to fashion journalist Cathy Horyn, there will soon be a “Choupette” bag, knitted and soft, to be sold at Chanel.~~Zahia Dehar has become so infamous in France that she is only called by her first name. Although she is conventionally attractive, she does not align with the classic beauty ideals of, say, Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly. Her hair is bleached blonde, and she sports dark cat-eye makeup. A recent press release by the now-20 year old declares the following:  "Zahia, an artist, a stylist, a muse, and soon an icon."She became well known not because of her good looks, but for a huge sex scandal. In fact, she was a teenage prostitute who serviced a French footballer when she was just seventeen years old.Since the scandal broke, Zahia has attained unbelievable fame under careful celebrity tutelage. For whatever reason, she has become a fashion muse rather than a public embarrassment. She has taken buzz that would normally stigmatize and turned it into a lucrative career. Huge names in art and fashion, such as aforementioned Karl Lagerfeld, have guided her newfound fashion career. She has walked in Paris fashion week, been on covers of international magazines, and has been photographed by Pierre et Gilles and David LaChapelle.~~Jedward have become a cultural phenomenon all over Europe. The pair of handsome Irish pop stars, with their matching mile-high blonde hair, rose to fame after their stint in the reality competition The X Factor. The duo has not had as clear-cut a route to roles as members of the fashion elite as Zahia or Choupette. Last month, inexplicably to many fashion commentators, the pair was spotted sitting in the front row for Dsquared2’s Milan show. Of course, they also wore matching custom-designed outfits by Dean + Dan Caten of Dsquared2, which they later modelled for the Spring 2013 lookbook.Jedward did not end their time at Milan with Dsquared2, but were also invited personally by Roberto Cavalli to attend the Italian designer’s Milan show. As evidenced by the Twitter conversations between the three, Cavalli has become quite fond of Jedward. Indeed, Cavalli hosted the two for a vacation on his luxurious pleasure yacht. If Cavalli’s warm reception of Jedward is any indication, it is only a matter of time before we see more designers taking a shine to the fashionable twosome. Will we be seeing collections inspired by their eyes, or perhaps their famous pompadours, next season?