One of the most common questions I receive is about why I cover my face in all my pictures. What started as unconscious somehow sparked a mini movement in the Instagram community.
Why do I cover my face? Here’s my story:
I never planned to post anything other than sneaker pics when I first started my IG account.
The transition into posting outfit pics later gave me the stylistic opportunity to complement the kicks and complete the picture. So the walls dropped. But not every brick because I realised that showing my face was not part of the vision I had.
The initial reason was simple- my facial expression always turned out to be awkward.
So I figured it was much easier if I cropped my face off in order to allow followers to focus more on the outfit, backdrop, and composition: the whole palette that showed who I was, my personality, spirit, energy, thought process, beliefs, and how I could connect to my followers without them focusing on my face.
The face crop was a staple for a long time until the hand gesture over the face came into play. It wasn't long until I noticed that many of my followers (and non-followers) were doing the same thing. I then started to screenshot the accounts of people who would emulate this hand gesture and put them in a folder called "save face".
I coined the gesture as “save face” in one of my captions about 2 years ago. The term usually refers to a way of retaining respect or preserving one’s dignity, self-respect. Which in a way is relatable to the meaning of the movement.
The double entendre allowed me to use the hand gesture and suggested at the same time that I could…
Stay true to myself and my style.
Preserve my identity in an ever-changing environment.
Relate to a freedom of movement where personal style faces a rigid formula.
Be free to make my mark within an ever-changing urban scope.
Many of you already know @savefaceww is where your picture is posted and resides among others that share similar attitudes to trends in urban settings. But each is differentiated by its unique preference and world view. Clichés go: it’s not what you wear but how you wear it. For me it’s more than that. It’s being confident enough to inspire others with a style but staying anonymous as I do. It humbles me enough to always appreciate it
It’s all about being able to think differently starting from the ground up. At the same time the ability to inspire others while staying anonymous not only makes me appreciate my position but also flattered by such experiences and engagement with followers.
The feeling that I’m able to inspire others to adopt a style is a reward that motivates me to constantly refine and sharpen my form/approach/technique. I always strive to stay fresh and confident in my outfits which range from simple to complex matches. As always staying anonymous liberates me from the need to identify myself but keeps me always engaging with those who want to hear my story.
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