Jo Weldon

Fierce: The History of Leopard Print is a look at fashion and society through the lens of leopard print. The viewpoint is a feminist one, a fine way of seeing a fashion choice generally considered the purview of women. As the title suggests, wearing leopard print is a bold decision that reflects the personality of the women wearing it.

The fashion for the fur of spotted cats starts in prehistory and for millennia represented power. As a human was draped in the skin of the cat, its fierceness of the cats was transferred to the wearer in a form of sympathetic magic. The book skims the appearance of leopard print in several centuries before reaching the focus of the book – the twentieth century. The next several chapters are a thematic look at each decade and the meaning of leopard print at the time.

I loved seeing how the attitude toward leopard print changed with the decades. I was particularly struck by contrast of the chapters “The Trophy Wife” and “The Bad Mother”. In a short span of time, leopard print signified polar opposites in woman – privileged and obedient versus seductive and rebellious. We see how leopard print moved up and down the fashion scale over the years, from powerful to tacky to campy to sexy to playful and back again. I particularly enjoyed the analysis of the meaning of “tacky” and how something once considered prestigious could fall to being dismissed by the elite.

Fierce is lavishly illustrated, as a fashion book needs to be. The photographs show leopard being worn by movie stars, supermodels, and ordinary women, and in advertisements, catalogs, and other photos. I know how hard it is to get the rights to images so I’m very impressed with all the gorgeous pictures she was able to use. This book wants to be enjoyed in full color. The writing is excellent, but the impact would be lost without the images.

The history of this fashion is bookended with information about the big cats whose fur inspired this all. At the start the reader is introduced to the spotted cats and their markings, so you can tell if you’re wearing leopard print or if it’s actually jaguar. The book wraps up with some organizations that are helping big cats, if you want to get involved in preserving these beautiful creatures. Because of Jo I’ve been a supporter of Panthera for several years now.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fashion history, in feminism, or in big cats. This enjoyable and informative read is a celebration of fierce creatures — female and feline alike.… (mais)

Jo "Boobs" Weldon is certainly the nurturing mother diva of the NY burlesque scene. An strangely beautiful creature in person, and well, the author of this unique book. I must say, with the re-birth of the art form, well, first as art and not some cheap thrill, and as neo-burlesque, this book is a must have. Jo indulges the reader in the the research she did (by interviewing some of the old burlesque legends) to learn the techniques and classic maneuvers of the art of teasing on stage. Some notorious and hot burlesque talents of today are within the pages of the Handbook, such as Julie Atlas Muz, Julie's now-husband Matt Fraser, Dirty Martini, Nasty Canasta (of Naked Girls Reading fame!), Johnny Porkpie, and many many more. The Handbook is as practical as it is valuable historically, with careful detail applied to each and every aspect of the burlesque act, from designing costume to picking soundtrack to negotiating with venues. Jo details some of the classic components of burlesque, like the fan dance and twirling with helpful step-by-step images. There are even cut-outs for making your own tassels and step-by-step instructions on how to make them along with some interesting models used by burlesque dancers.

A must have for those who want to learn about burlesque and those who are embarking on the scene!… (mais)