Ethel Granger’s husband was a firm believer in wasp-waisted corsets for women… none of that shapeless, flapper stuff. William Arnold Granger convinced the young Ethel to wear one, first by day and then also by night, before long transforming her waist into the Guinness Book of Records-winning tiny 13 inches she was later known for. Worth the suffering? He thought so.
Whether you agree, it makes for a fascinating story; one Vogue Italia used as inspiration for this shoot from their September issue titled The Discipline of Fashion. The piercings, the corsets, and the general strangeness of it all are directly inspired by the Grangers.
Photographed by Steven Meisel and starring Stella Tennant, we can only guess that the shoot is intended to raise questions and generate interest, not to inspire us to don rib-crushing corsetry.
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| Ethel Granger’s 13 inch waist |
