Putin visits Kim. As always, the North Korean ruler presents himself in his characteristic look: a pimped-out Mao suit and a hairstyle like a guillotine. Kim is not the only autocrat who knows how to make himself into a brand. A small fashion show.
Power needs to be staged. It has to convey a clear message: Watch out, here I come. It would simply be too complicated if a ruler had to fight for his power again and again. Then he would constantly have to execute some opponent, wage bloody wars or whip a stubborn subject. It would be far too exhausting.
Power is only particularly efficient when it no longer has to prove itself after it has been conquered. The more often it has to be demonstrated, the more it wears out. So it has to be staged in such a way that no one dares to question it. Power needs clarity and recognition. And the most difficult thing: power needs an aura. This is especially true of dictatorial power, which finds its legitimacy exclusively in violence.
Power is not only presented with the help of imposing buildings, parades and ceremonies, but also with the help of clothing, accessories and hairstyles. In the past, pomp and circumstance were the trademarks of all autocrats and dictators. The fashion of rulers was always opulent and sent a variety of messages. Only art historians can interpret all the symbols on a royal portrait from the Baroque period. With the advent of mass media, the fashion of rulers was usually reduced to a core message. The insignia of power are usually only used in a concentrated manner. Hitler or Stalin beards, Mao jackets, Gaddafi sunglasses, Trump quiff: autocratic fashion now needs very few means to spread fear and terror. Let’s look at how it works.