Cover FKA Twigs are the Met Gala 2023 (Photo: Getty Images)
FKA Twigs are the Met Gala 2023 (Photo: Getty Images)
1 / 1
The British artist made headlines last year when her Calvin Klein advert was labelled as too sexual. But she has dismissed the label—on her birthday, we explore other instances where she has taken control of her story
FKA Twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, is a multifaceted British artist of Afro Latin origin, who is known for her music, dance, modelling and creative directorial talents. Her artistic endeavours might be extremely varied and diverse, but there’s one common thread that ties it all together—her social and political engagement. From addressing issues of racism to championing female empowerment, Twigs is vocal about the socio-political challenges of modern society, and sheds light on these topics not only through her art but also through her other public interactions.
To celebrate this multitalented and outspoken artist, Tatler looks at the times she championed for a social issue.
You might also like: Hong Kong’s first diverse modelling agency pushes back against prejudice
1. Representing a wide range of femininity
Exploring different facets of femininity is a recurring theme in Twigs’ music. For example, she talks about sexual politics and body ownership in the visual extended play (EP) M3LL155X (2015); and questions patriarchy, salvation and desire in the album Magdalene (2019). In various songs within Magdalene—which alludes to the biblical figure of Mary Magdalena—she adopts various personas, from a swordswoman in Sad Day to an angel falling from the sky in Cellophane.
Through this album (which is described as “raw … and thus feminist” by Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli) and several others, Twigs presents a wide spectrum of femininity—from fiercely powerful to delicately fragile.
2. Calling out double standards
On January 10, the UK Advertising Standards Authority banned a Calvin Klein campaign featuring Twigs, on the grounds that it presented her as “a stereotypical sexual object”. It was a decision that surprised many, given that the brand didn’t face any backlash for some of their other campaigns that contained a similar level of nudity.
Twigs addressed the decision on social media, denouncing it as “a double standard”. She wrote on Instagram on January 11, “I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me. I see a beautiful strong woman of colour whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine … I will not have my narrative changed.”
3. Showcasing an athletic femininity
In a society where physical strength and masculinity can go hand in hand, a strong woman’s body is sometimes thought to be too masculine. But Twigs has aimed to change this notion by revealing her athletic body in photoshoots, videos and more to showcase that sensuality and muscularity can be the two sides of the same coin.
Twigs’ athletic physical proportions come from years of rigorous training—before her successful musical career, she was better known as a dancer-choreographer, who’s trained in ballet, tap dance, modern dance, salsa and hip-hop. She has also been practising wushu since 2017—which was recommended to her by Golden Globe winner Chloe Zhao—as well as pole-dancing.
4. Speaking up against domestic violence
In December 2020, FKA Twigs filed a lawsuit accusing her ex-boyfriend, actor Shia Lebeouf, of sexual battery, assault and causing emotional distress. The latter denied her accusations.
While the trial is ongoing, a public figure like FKA Twigs speaking out about her alleged abusive relationship has helped spread even more awareness on domestic abuse. She went vocal about this issue time and again, and backed London-based charity Sistah Space’s call to introduce mandatory training for police who deal with black female domestic abuse victims. According to research by Sistah Space, 86 per cent of women of African and/or Caribbean heritage in the UK have either been a victim of domestic abuse or know a family member who has been assaulted. Only 57 per cent of victims said they would report the abuse to the police—which necessitates this call for the police to be trained to handle these cases.
5. Celebrating her natural hair texture
Hyper-visible spaces such as red carpets can be tricky places for Black women to don their natural hair texture—be it because of racist comments from media (think of the criticism that Zendaya faced for wearing dreadlocks to the Oscars 2015) or because it’s not easy to find professional hairdressers who can style these hair textures to perfection.
But Twigs vowed to break these barriers. Sporting dreadlocks, braids, beads and more, she has embraced her natural hair for the world to see, and has been pushing her hair stylists’ creativity to the next level. Back in 2017, she even launched a digital zine project called Avant Garden with an issue exploring braided hairstyles, as a way of addressing trauma and beauty attached to Black hair.
Topics
Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
