The human species has never been content with its natural state. From Waura chiefs in Brazil who paint themselves with spots like jaguars, through the ritual sacrifices of tribesman in Africa, to the invention of the bra, this four-part series examines the way the human race adorns itself as a statement of both individuality and belonging.
Using original film from Europe, USA and Japan, with anthropological footage of tribes and cultures from around the globe, Body Styles exhibits the bizarre and beautiful results of man’s vanity. Interviews with Katharine Hamnett, cultural commentator Ted Polhemus and other fashion luminaries ponder the peacocks on parade and ask if the lip extensions of the Kyapo tribe in Brazil are any more ridiculous than western punk hairstyles.