Mother Teresa and Pope Francis. Princess Diana (after the divorce) and Angelina Jolie (after adopting the 1st child and becoming a UN ambassador). What do they have in common? They embody the Caregiver archetype, symbol of altruism, caring and protecting others. The closest association is with mothers and fathers but it is present in any…
‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.’ The iconic quote from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ defines the essence of the Jester, the archetype that just want to have fun! The clown, the trickster, the comedian and that friend who is the life of…
Romance, seduction, luxury and beauty. The Lover is the archetype of pleasure, sophistication, physical and emotional connections. It’s not hard to see that it embodies most of fashion, beauty and luxury brands. Chanel, Dior, Saint Laurent, Versace, Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Revlon, Victoria’s Secret and La Perla are among them. Sensuality and love stories make an immediate…
The friend who is always there for us, the girl next door, the regular worker and the model citizen. All of them are images of ‘normal’ people whom we can identify with and the perfect translation of the Every Person archetype: a realistic, empathetic, no-fuss kind, always looking for companionship, since its basic desire is…
From Merlin to Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Samantha in ‘Bewitched’, our obsession with everything magic comes from way back. Nevertheless, the Magician archetype is much more than a supernatural figure with a pointy hat and a wand. It is associated with transformation, dreams and change, as he believes that to make things happen we…
Revolutionary, rebel, outlaw and even villain. The names associated with the archetype are not very flattering, but this doesn’t mean it has a negative approach. Think about how revolutionary minds are important to our society’s evolution and how ‘outsiders’ are irresistibly seductive. Honestly, who doesn’t like to break some rules every now and then? While…
Courage, determination and strength. From Hercules to Superman, going through Luke Skywalker, and all the heroes from comics and fiction, the archetype embodies these values in an inspiring, admirable way. The Hero motivates us to overcome limitations, believe in ourselves, fight for noble causes and make the world a better place. Along courage comes a…
The Sage believes that knowledge is never enough. Maybe it is one of the easiest archetypes to define since it is instantly associated with figures such as the professor, the specialist, the researcher, the detective or the “geek”. However, this search for knowledge has a deeper motivation as he thinks only the truth set us…
A person that goes on a journey to find his own identity. That’s the perfect translation of the Explorer archetype. Freedom, independence and authenticity are amongst the most important values of those who identify with the symbol, besides a great urge for individualism and to be ‘himself’. The Explorer loathes the idea of conformity, of…
Starting this week, I will talk about each of the 12 archetypes and their application to the fashion and beauty industries. Let’s begin with the Innocent! The Innocent is the optimist who believes in kindness, in the beauty of dreams and that everything always turns out fine. He is hopeful and aspire to live in…