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http://www.gawker.com/news/media/new-york-magazine/looking-at-the-look-book-027648.php

Looking At The Look Book

Katie Halper, stand-up comedian/documentary film maker

How would you help Ciara – if, that is, you think she needs help – without interfering with her personal style?

First, I would help Ciara by reassuring her it’s OK, in fact, totally normal, to find Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks difficult. He was, after all, writing in code, and I’m not just talking about Italian (I mean to prevent the prison authorities from understanding). I would make sure that she had read Marx or else there’s no hope for understanding Gramsci. I can’t imagine a global studies/ international relations students could graduate without reading Marx, but these days you just never know, do you?

I would also give Ciara some crime fighting tips. When walking in the concrete jungle that is New York (and not Connecticut):

A) DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT wear Marc Jacobs, Prada, Anthropologie,
Ted Baker. Even if they are bought at “consignment store[s]” or are presents, I don’t care. And, more importantly, neither does the mugger. All we see is the style, which spells muggable for the mugger and danger for Ciara.

B) Whatever you do, do not open your mouth. Nothing reeks of vulnerability more than a “pretty strong” Manchester accent combined with a U.S. liberal arts school affect.

Ciara talks about being cheeky at Sarah Lawrence. What sort of “cheeky” things do you imagine she did?

Although she didn’t study IR as an undergraduate, she definitely got some cheeky hands on experience in “international relations.” Ciara is not ashamed to admit that she definitely explored her bi-curious side while at Sarah Lawrence. She learned the valuable lesson that labels are for jars and realized she didn’t believe in anything you can find on a map. Although she claims there were parties where people “go…practically naked” Ciara attended some totally naked parties, although she preferred body painting parties. But now, she prefers Prada.

Ciara got mugged two weeks ago. If you were a mugger, what would you steal from Ciara?

If I were a mugger I would definitely go for the Nars lipstick first because from past mugging experience, I would know how “completely bare” my victim would feel. It would totally violate her. I think that one of the few fundamental truths that everyone in our society agrees on, from the down and out criminal, to the cheeky fashionista, is that a for the modern woman her Scarlet Empress is “the one thing” she “need[s] and love[s].” It’s like the timeless question about a tree falling without anyone hearing it. If a woman has her Scarlet Empress stolen, is she still a woman?

Ciara didn’t really answer the “how do you describe your look?” question. So…how would YOU describe her look?

Contrary to popular belief, Ciara is quite butch and totally high-maintenance.