New WWE.com Photoshoot: Spirit Within

Here we have another one of those 'shoots that I walk the love-don't love line on. The fashion is either already seen or barely able to be seen. Either way, it pretty much precludes a review of it. On the happier side, the theme of this set is even more up my alley than the superheroes one. The Big Dub had a field day with Photoshop to show off the "spirit animal"..in some cases, spirit material :) of several of the divas. The choices were on point and executed quote well. Money was an obvious pairing with Sasha Banks and she definitely rocks the Lady Warbucks feel. The crazy colors of this gear works perfectly to add color to this snap..although thematically, I might have preferred her bedazzled trench coat.  The spinning gears represent Becky's magic-infused steampunk persona. Her expression in this snap is top notch and the angle is gorgeous! I hope she keeps that on file for shoots that are to come in future.  Quite possibly my favorite piece of the three are the soaring ravens exploding from Paige's rebel heart. Although she may draw the line at feeding on death as they do, they're dark spirit and deep connection to rebirth parallels her never-say-die attitude. The artistic execution of this snap is especially compelling. The choice of her jumping pose harmonizes beautifully with the birds' flight.
Just recently, I read a quote over at one of my favorite blogs, TaySwiftStyle.com - Questions section, which captured one of my beliefs about photoshoots for the divas..uh..cough...superstars. Apols, ladies ;).  Sarah was discussing Glee when she said "I'm a strong believer that a show's fashion can speak volumes and can create storyline through its subjects just as much as dialogue or even music". But I think her words apply to 'shoots as well. We see the ladies on tv, we get o know they're wrestling personas. To really flesh out their characters, however, and to really bring depth to the action, the avenue of the photoshoot is unsurpassed. How many divas teased and developed a heel turn via a sudden switch in the their fashion? We've seen WWE recently veer away from fashion-style shoots and it's a nice change...but I wouldn't want them to become a lost art, either. They offer too much potential to be relegated to some attic of forgotten media. In fact, if anything, I think the Powers That WWE have possibly even been guilty of under-utilizing the potential of 'shoots to add dimension to what we know of the ladies. We've seen flashes of it in the past: AJ"s fashion always firmly reflected her nerdy-geek leanings, spiced with 90's grunge. We saw hints of the business woman and the just-married dreamer, but primarily, her fashion conveyed her particular, specific character. While AJ stayed true to one persona throughout her career, Michelle McCool metamorphosized from wallflower personal trainer, to bright-eyed All-American girl, to crazy chick to glamourous Mean Girl. Her fashion reflected this, shifting from workout gear, to classic sexy pieces, to black monochrome ensembles to sequined tanks and OTK boots. There was a direct connection between the changes we saw on tv and the fashion we saw in her 'shoots that emphasized and reinforced the changes, and created a connection with character during non-tv time. It was a subtle, but meaningful gesture that brought added impact to each variation Michelle made. Lana is one of the current divas who made use of 'shoots in a similar way, shifting from Ice Queen to rock n'roll girl as her on-screen relationship with Rusev cycled.  It was - as it always is - mad fun to watch the shift in each era through the lens of her style. Just as fashion is the art we use in daily life to describe ourselves to the world, so too it is the vehicle through which the superstars convey who they are to us throught their careers. And the photoshoot is the delivery module :). So, all you wrestling promotions: keep 'em comin'!