Kristen Stewart: The Gender Fluid Style of a Fashion Icon

Abstract

Since the success of the Twilight saga (2008-2012) Kristen Stewart has become a powerful image whose status of star is permeated of many aspects that make of her also a celebrity. Her charismatic image that in few years has been associated to important fashion brands like Chanel or Balenciaga, also because of an androgynous body that condenses together female and male elements, establishes herself as a gender fluid icon. This paper aims to examine Kristen Stewart’s image as an influencer and a fashion icon taking in consideration her official profiles on social network (like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter in particular), and those one created by her followers (on Tumblr and Pinterest for example), confirming her as a model for young generation, taking into account fashion pictures, her appearance during Tv programs, public events (like previews, runway shows), commercials and videoclip where her celebrity status has become predominant. In order to highlight the mechanism employed in shaping Kristen Stewart’s new image, the paper is going to analyze her transformation, passing to be a dark teenager, and one of the most important sex-symbol’s girlfriend, like Robert Pattinson, to a new transgressive fashion icon, appreciated for being a nonconformist and able to catalyze mass media attention. In addition to her iconic image the paper is going to highlight her as a symbol of the fluid gender process, using her celebrity status to support some social issues: like female emancipation and rights or LGBTQ cause, increasing her popularity and making of her an active celebrity.