90s Grrl: RST
Romance Standard Time/‘80s
“ Let me take you to the movies
Can I take you to the show?
Let me be yours ever truly
Can I make your garden grow?
From the houses of the holy
We can watch the white doves go ”
- hoth, Led Zeppelin (Physical Graffiti album,1975)
In the 80s, pre-teen moi came of romantic age to three Princesses: Diana, in the line of the Lei, and Stephanie, in the line of Grace (kelly).
The latter was my first in real life (irl) Princess Diary story from over in Monaco, on the coastal belt in Sud de la France next door to Cannes where we launch this exhibit in May 2024.
To be fair, all three - Grace, Di and Stephanie - seemed to live with individualistic flair, following non-conformist ways linked to my wrld of film, music and feminist grrling that I was naturally drawn to growing up straddling east and west in the Emirates, a 90s Grrl, 1 Gen Led.
From Hollywood to Cannes to charitable music, art and fashion, they signalled all the interesting cultural hi (and fun) spots of the new normals, 1980s to 90s.
*According to the internet, Romance Standard Time is an actual term used for time used in Paris and areas of France on the same time zone.
my soeur-heart
but it was Di who touched me as the first souer-ami. A first etheric relating like no other. A version of my maternal line - radiantly flirty but deeply nice.
Bursting onto my Khaleej Times and rare encounters with magazine pages, looking so emotionally familiar in every way till 1997. She was also the talk of colonial fam friend circles through my ‘80s; a gen still culturally tied to the Commonwealth Crown.
I had a little black dress version of this gown made at 16.
the wilder-soeur
and over in Monaco (via London), P. Stephanie who we were worried for after the car crash and Loss, was like: hold my beer, Di, and starts dating the Greatest American Scenic Distraction of the 80s for many, Rob frickin’ Lowe.
AND they met while he was making one of my fav Lowe films.
She had my full attention for quite a while.
Diana hits up Cannes 1987 in yet another perfect fashion moment of that time.
This was possibly the first time I heard of this filmic hot spot.
I had seen “Raising Arizona”, which was presented Out of Competition that year, but hadn’t made the connection.
The amie-souer drama continued with lessons till the late ‘90s.