If life were a movie, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus would play the role of a superwomen. Being the Estonian Minister of Finance and the mother of a small child at the same time, remaining a human in the pitiless police war – all this gives an idea of his supreme abilities.
We have often seen her with gray earberries, which is a kind of bold and distinctive choice, when mostly brightly colored berries are chosen – minimalist gray plays nicely with her chestnut red hair. But at the same time, she is not afraid of bold forms and colors, enchanting fashion critics with lavender-purple and lime-green royal robes at the presidential ball. We asked Keit to tell us about her style preferences more closely.
Who have been your style icons throughout life? Whose choices do you admire? How much have you shaped your own style to be like your icons?
My icon is confident, courageous, and a little rebellious woman. While courage and self-confidence do not always mean a strong titanium attitude, sometimes expressing an inner fragility requires more courage and strength than wearing an outer stone-resistant shell.
I often get inspiration by just watching people. If the journey was even more frequent, I could sit for a long time somewhere in a street café, in the evenings at a restaurant or in the hotel lobby, watching people in a hurry. In just an hour, you can see amazingly cool human types.
But since you asked about admiration, my complete admiration actually belongs to Estonian designers, and fashion designers, whom I have learned to trust 100%. The level, quality, imagination and momentum that our creators offer is in no way inferior to the top of the world. The small size of our market is the only thing that sets it apart.
Please describe the picture you see when you open your wardrobe doors? What colors and shapes dominate?
Very diverse. From tight jumpsuits to colourful airy kaftans. From water grey to neon green. In general, the period of colours is back again. The forced inwardness of the entire Corona period has led to the search for strong emotions. The colours support it.
How do you make your choices when you’re getting ready for the day? How much do you think about who you are meeting and what topics are on the table?
For me, fashion is part of self-expression, communication, a means of forwarding and amplifying a message. I don’t do it every day, but I often think about the subtext and the code that can be sent with clothes’ colour, shape, and accessories.
The first example that comes to mind is a picture of me from 2011, which was taken when the then government took office. The picture is quite often used to describe the changes in the Estonian political world. Back then there was a time when I was the only woman in the whole government. The first day of confirmation is always festive, giving oath to the Parliament, attending a ceremony and taking official photos… It would have been possible to put on a dark trouser suit in order to blend in with the whole line of men, which would have been a clear message as well, but I chose the other path. I drew attention to the extreme masculinity of the entire political world at the time. I wore a bright pink dress when the government took office.
All in all, I have no hesitation in using fashion and clothes as a message carrier, because it is a powerful medium.
What role do accessories play in your life? One of the most legendary examples from the political arena is the former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who wore brooches in meetings as a transmitter of secret messages and an indicator of mentality. Have you ever tried a similar game?
Yes! Once again, I commend Estonian artists – wearing accessories with stories and characters is an intelligent and beautiful way to convey a message.
You get extra points for style-courage, because you have also worn Tanel’s bold stage jewelry on several occasions. In today’s information warfare aimed at visual stimuli, it seems pretty clever – for example, in the pop culture attention war, it has become the main weapon. How much can a politician be a pop icon? Where do you see the political arena moving in this plan? How does visibility in the media and especially social media affect politics?
All good questions, but how do I answer them briefly? For me, politics is a tool for changing the world, and competition for ideas. Whoever is better able to find supporters for their ideas will be more successful in the end. Can a pop culture arsenal be used for this? Of course. But in doing so, there is always the danger of remaining a one-season hit-maker. It still takes very strong content, commitment, inner conviction and grip to become an icon.
I was now left wondering about your question – not every politician is a pop icon, but every pop icon is actually a policy maker with his own influence.
Photos: Hele-Mai Alamaa
Stylist: Kaidi Liiv
Non – series photos: press
