The eye has to travel beyond physical quirks to find ‘perfect’ beauty.

IS it possible to admit that one is not particularly good? And be comfortable with that?

The co-founder of New York fashion label Rag & Bone, Marcus Wainwright, was brave enough to do both. In print, too. In a recent magazine interview, he revealed that as although he coveted a Leica M9-P, he was only an enthusiastic amateur photographer. And he likes being not particularly good because “it drives me to keep taking pictures”.

Nowadays, we don’t often hear anyone saying that he’s not good at something. Instead, people would choose to lie blatantly rather than admit to this appalling transgression. In a world that aspires towards perfection, they would rather embellish their achievements than tell the truth.

Others strive to hide this “bad” reality as best they can, covering up their incompetence with the fervour of a dog burying its imaginary bone. In an era of betterment, even the thought of such an admission is almost sacrilege.

This is one of the reasons why I like writing this column. Often, when I see, hear or read something that piques my curiosity, I am compelled to write about it. If it is a subject that I do not know much about, even better. This column gives me the opportunity to learn all I can about the subject matter, weigh the differing viewpoints and formulate my own. And, as I write, I comprehend.

Similarly, French fashion designer Isabel Marrant’s aesthetic is a reflection of her personality. Despite her eponymous brand’s cult status and queue-scrumming collections, her stance regarding her designs is uncompromising – they are what she likes to wear.

In a recent interview in a beauty blog, Marrant confesses to never being bothered about what she wears or puts on her face. She only owns up to lightening her hair, never covering her greys. She loves wrinkles. Her attitude to ageing is that it is a process of life. Most strikingly, she states, “I like imperfection.”

When I read those words it struck me that I should write about the pursuit of imperfection in a world that celebrates perfectionism. Like every trusty writer, I googled my idea and found more than 11 million entries on the subject, covering every aspect possible.

Seemingly, it is the quest for imperfection that has made inroads into several areas of our lives, without our even noticing it. From artisanal breads to experimental flooring, rough, rustic, distressed and unfinished items that shine due to their imperfection have been gaining ground.

For Master AVS Bathi of Xtreme Martial Arts, perfection means two things. First, achieving the best – and when you reach that status you have reached the end. Second, it is an admission that what you have is not enough.

When training his students, Bathi targets every individual’s breathing, balance, timing and power, using perfection as a form of motivation. But he feels that when they themselves strive relentlessly for perfection, they miss out on the virtue of trying.

“The experience of making each technique perfect is the process of learning, which should not be hurried through,” he says, and often advises his students: “It’s a way of improving. You have to relax, follow the flow and then get the feeling. Let go first – kickboxing is not about perfection.”

Perfection is on a different level, and attaining it depends on an individual’s abilities. The key is to focus on where a person is at, accepting his abilities, and slowly correcting his techniques to make them better. In a relaxed manner.

“The beauty of it lies in one’s efforts to expand their best,” Bathi says. In other words, it’s all about getting there. Travelling, not arriving.

Iconic editor Diana Vreeland was never a beauty. Her American socialite mother reportedly said it was unfortunate that Vreeland had such a beautiful sister when she was so ugly. Not that this ever stopped Vreeland, whose name appeared on the mastheads of US Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue for 33 years.

Two months ago, a compelling docu-film on her life was released. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel, based on audio tapes and archive interviews, traces her extremely radiant and rich life. It showed that she wanted to be where the action was, and her work – still revered – clearly never missed a fashion beat.

The inimitable Vreeland is credited with bringing fashion into the modern period, as well as defining style for a new generation. She did this by celebrating quirks. For example, Barbra Streisand’s famed nose featured prominently on one of her Vogue covers.

In The Eye Has To Travel, a Vreeland devotee marvels at her ability to highlight people’s physical faults as one of the most beautiful things about them.

Obviously, being not particularly beautiful was not an issue with Vreeland, nor the models she chose to work with.

Delighting in dead ends, Jacqueline Pereira seeks unexpected encounters to counter the outmoded. Find her on Facebook at Jacqueline-Pereira-Writing-on.

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