MAGDALENA FRIDA KAHLO - 6 Fun facts you didn't know about this legend

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo. What a name and what a lady! You’ve no doubt heard her name 1000 times over in your lifetime, but for reals, who on earth is she? A musician? Feminist? Artist? Politician?

Last year when we were researching and designing the ‘Still I Rise’ range, a collection based around female strength and determination, Frida’s name came up, a lot. The more we learnt about this legend of a lady, it was quickly revealed that a stand alone pendant to mark her impact and values on the world today, wasn’t going to even dip the tip! So, it was decided we would create an entire collection based around her values, creative talents and showcase the amazingly strong and determined lady she was in her own collection of Luna & Rose jewels. This collection has JUST launched (After over a year in the making!) and we couldn’t be more stoked to share it with you. It has been our most detailed and time-consuming collection to date, purely due to the incredible detail in every single piece. Most of the time, the wait really is worth it!

While you peruse the designs, we wanted to share a little more about the Mexican artist who inspired this latest collection, so you too can help understand what an incredible guru she was!

1. Real Name:

Her real name is Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon but she opted for a more simple ‘Frida Kahlo’ as her artist name.

2. Real birth date:

Interesting story! On Frida’s birth certificate she is born in 1907 but the artist always maintained that she was born the 7^th of July 1910. The reason of that wasn’t to lie about her age to look younger but because of her devoted love for her country since this date coincides with the Mexican revolution. Frida was a woman truly committed to her country!

3. Liberated woman:

Frida lived against the rules and against morals imposed on her. She was the “model” of the liberated woman at her time. She was much younger than her husband (They met when she was just 15 and him 37), was openly bisexual, embraced weirdness (both in her art and in life) she smoked, boxed, won tequila challenges against men, and dressed like a man in a family portrait, defying any gender stereotype placed on women during this time. Frida refused to alter her ‘masculine’ features, including her mono-brow and faint moustache, and actually exaggerated these features in her self portraits. Needless to say, The Mexican artist was and still is very inspiring for women.

4. Doctor before artist:

Today we know Frida Kahlo as an artist but before becoming a painter her dream was to become a doctor. Suffering from a disease called Polio from when she was only 6 years old, she lost a part of her right leg and her foot stopped growing. She suffered a lot from her illness, including mockery from her peers in which her classmates referred to her as “Frida la coja” (Peg Leg Frida).

This only reinforced her desire to become a doctor. By 16 she could speak 3 languages fluently and was well on her way to head to Doctors School until a terrible accident changed her fate for the rest of her life.

5. Woman of tragedy:

Frida Kahlo didn’t have an easy life, she was constantly sick with her Polio, didn’t connect well with her Mother and was constantly battling for a different life that was already written for females of that time. At 18 everything changed forever. She was victim of a terrible bus accident in which left her hospitalized for months on end. She underwent thirty surgical operations and she changed her focus to painting as a form of meditation that she could do without the use of the bottom half of her body. Frida’s disability from the bus accident forced her to give up her ambitions to become a doctor but the painting saved her…

6. A beauty icon:

Frida Kahlo may seem ‘untidy’ with her eyebrows not plucked, and very rare for a woman of her generation but this was something Frida wore proud. Her trademark you could say! In Mexico she was a beauty icon, a strong woman, a model of Strength & Independence for many women. She has become an inspiration for many artists, photographers, stylists as well as for us, Luna & Rose inspiring an entire collection of jewellery.

Frida was a truly determined, strong and courageous woman of her time. She was an incredibly talented artist whom we are so lucky to share many of her beautiful artworks with in todays modern world. Standing up for her true self and unique identity, we have loved getting to know the life and story of Frida Kahlo throughout the design process of this new collection and hope you too find inspiration throughout our newly designed pieces.

The Magdalena Frida Kahlo collection launches online next week! Make sure you're on our Email list to be the first to know x