Spotlight on Dining DNA:
The Search for the Elusive Protagonista
October 23, 2009
There is a kind of woman who, when seen at a restaurant or lounge, seems to give off a glow. You might try to pinpoint what makes this woman so effervescent. What gives her that ethereal aura, that mysterious halo? Is it her confidence? Is it her strong sense of self? Is it her liberated spirit?
Then you realize: It’s the ambient light reflecting off her glossy pair of Manolo Blahniks.
There are some women who are comfortable with eventually settling down and retiring their social lives, but don’t ask this woman why she doesn’t follow the herd. She’s a protagonista, and her desire for new friends and new experiences is as alive and kicking as ever.
A protagonista is the star of her own show. She often has about four inches of Jimmy Choo under her heels, because shoes are a mode of expressing her feminine confidence and personality. She also has enough experience to know that going out for drinks isn’t about being seen—but, of course, she can’t help it if she’s eye-catching nonetheless.
She’s driven by the knowledge that life is short. She’s still got the energy to explore the fast-evolving culture of a bustling urban metropolis, but she’s now wise enough to realize that she doesn’t have to be everywhere at once. At heart, she’s a woman who’s just managing two halves of her psyche: the half that wants to be lost in the moment, and the half that wants to step back and think about where she’s going. She’s selective and that defines her style.
Typically a protagonista is seen as the quintessential New York lady. One could quickly dismiss her as another Carrie Bradshaw. But the credits have rolled for that series, and a protagonista doesn’t have time to wait around for the next rerun or big screen rehash. She’s handed her dainty cosmopolitan back to the bartender. It’s time to impress her with a new cocktail.
The cultural spotlight captured her and her cohorts, immortalizing a moment of their lives with Sex and the City. Then, she and her girlfriends faded away from the minds of mass media. The protagonistas of a decade ago have grown up, but have not disappeared. They’re now redefining themselves in a new era and in new phases of their lives. They once told themselves that 30 was the new 20, and simply denied that 40 even existed. Well the 40 train has finally arrived on the platform. Where is it taking the protagonistas?
The truth is, being a protagonista has nothing to do with age. The reason it sounds passé to declare 30 as the new 20 is because that mentality has already become ingrained in culture. Women have already fully embraced the concept. They needn’t define their ages to reassure themselves that they are always in control of their lives.
Now that the first wave of protagonistas has moved on, the next wave is moving in, finding new professions, searching for new experiences, and, of course, donning the latest fashions. The Carrie Bradshaws of the last decade are leading the next generation of protagonistas across new frontiers, showing them how to enter the next decade of their lives with style. Life doesn’t stop after 40, and 30 is the new who gives a damn?
Above all, a protagonista just seeks to enjoy life. Live, live, live. What inspires her and makes her feel alive is beauty: The beauty of a well-tailored cocktail dress, the beauty of a city at night, the beauty of her best friends always at her side, and the beauty of meeting new and interesting people. The protagonista still knows that life is short, but life isn’t ever short on possibilities.
Photo courtesy of: Kelly Stuart (via fashion.elle.com).
Print ThisPosted in Crowds, Dining Culture, New York, Trends |
