Look of the Week: Shakira’s “NO” jacket is a big mood

Editor’s Note: Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.

More than 8 million people on TikTok have watched Elizabeth Olsen share her family’s often repeated mantra: “‘No’ is a full sentence.” Instilled in her by her older twin sisters, two show business veterans, Olsen insists that sometimes “you can just say no.”

Shakira, who was seen front row at the Viktor & Rolf couture show in Paris on Wednesday, clearly feels the same. Her sleek white coat — from the brand’s Fall-Winter 2008 collection — was dominated by the word “No,” emblazoned across her chest in three-dimensional letters. She paired the outfit with gold platform sandals and a matching mini clutch bag from Italian label Aquazzura. In photos taken at the event, including one that Shakira posted on social media alongside Camila Cabello, she wags her finger, as if to indicate “No.”

“‘Yes’ is overrated,” Shakira said when asked about her eyebrow-raising look, “I identify with ‘No,’ it’s a very powerful word.”

Using clothes to communicate your innerworld is nothing new. Brazen slogan T-shirts, like the ‘Nepo Baby’ top donned by Hailey Bieber earlier this year after she faced criticism for her path to fame, have long been used as a celebrity mouthpiece. Even politicians, presidents and members of the monarchy disseminate information through their wardrobe.

However, sometimes wearing your heart on your sleeve — or stitched across your chest — can backfire. In 2018, Melania Trump sparked widespread criticism when she chose to wear a khaki Zara jacket that read “I don’t really care. Do U?” in painted white lettering to tour a migrant children’s shelter on the US-Mexico border.

While Shakira’s jacket lacked the subtlety of soft power dressing, there has been some online debate as to what exactly her “No” is referring to. Some press have been quick to interpret the fashion statement as a personalized, public message to Shakira’s ex-partner, the footballer Gerad Piqué (the couple ended their 12-year relationship last year).

In reality, Viktor & Rolf have long been inspired by internet culture and meme jargon — particularly the word “No.” For the brand’s couture collection in 2019, candy-colored, frothy tulle frocks were embroidered with tongue-in-cheek viral internet phrases such as, “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come.”

The words were lifted from Instagram and selected for their banality, which contrasted with romantic silhouettes, co-founder Rolf Snoeren told WWD. One enveloping, conical gown featured “No” in letters so large, they took up half the dress.

Fashion is as much about feeling as it is about fabrics. And sometimes, the feeling is simply “No.”

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