When Angèle and her pop culture colleagues wield swords in style

Is the fast-approaching Halloween the reason why stars are letting the "witch" with her third eye wide open express herself? After Chappell Roan, Zendaya, and Chloë Sevigny, it's now Angèle's turn to wield the sword, posing in chain mail and steel. After a few major red carpets and especially a series of viral TikToks, it’s official: the medieval weird core or weirdeval aesthetic is more popular than ever among pop culture icons. After shaking the world with her performance at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games last August with her feline walk, angelic voice, and micro-bob haircut that inspired many to bravely cut their hair, the Belgian singer took the internet by storm a few days ago with her appearance in PHOTO magazine. Whether depicted as the quintessential Chanel woman in a tweed suit and pearl necklace, a film director behind the camera, or ready to hit a glamorous party in a stunning, long black dress, the image that struck her fans the most—and not just them—is the final one, which was also chosen as the magazine cover: the one where she clearly cosplays Joan of Arc.

She is not the only one to have paid homage to this character. At a time when demonstrations, "mystical gifts," and spirituality to connect more freely with the universe are at the height of their popularity thanks to TikTok and its countless tutorials, and with a new generation obsessed with the young martyr, a girl burned at the stake for claiming to hear voices, it’s no surprise that Joan of Arc has returned as an inspirational figure. Yet, on red carpets and runways (and in Angèle’s case, a photo studio), paying homage to such a historic figure holds deeper implications beyond glamour and fleeting trends. Zendaya, at the 2018 Met Gala with the theme Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, already chose the infamous saint as inspiration, wearing a stunning chainmail dress by Versace and a short red bob. More recently, Chappell Roan made a spectacular appearance at the MTV Music Awards in a look straight out of the FW24 ready-to-wear collection by Y/Project, featuring a royal pistachio velvet coat, a transparent burgundy dress giving her the appearance of a medieval warrior you wouldn't want to cross, iron thigh-high boots, and even a sword. She followed up with a second medieval-inspired look during her performance of Good Luck Babe, where the reference to Joan of Arc was even more striking, with her chainmail hooded outfit with metallic fringe from the SS24 collection by Rabanne, complete with chainmail gloves.

And Joan of Arc seems to inspire not only stars and their stylists but entire collections, such as the Teen Knight Poem by Hedi Slimane for Celine in 2021. However, fashion is certainly not the only field where she serves as a muse: Baz Luhrmann, Australian director and screenwriter, announced he will direct a biopic on Joan of Arc’s life and her status as a romantic heroine in popular culture. In response to this news, Jenna Ortega said that playing the saint would be her "dream role". Could this surge in interest for heroic figures signal that haunted glamour will be the next big inspiration across all areas of pop culture? It's hard to say, given how quickly trends come and go. What we do know is that this sudden fascination with Joan of Arc, her story, and her tragic fate, even through fashion, also symbolizes a new form of feminism that the industry and its key players can actively embrace. While it’s always good to keep a copy of Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex or a recent book by Annie Ernaux, welcoming the memory of an icon who didn’t hesitate to defy the patriarchy by donning combat gear reserved for men and embodying an almost androgynous female figure is a step forward. Meanwhile, we’ll keep listening to Balance ton quoi and liking Angèle’s posts dressed as a medieval warrior.