Sing Me a Swan Song

Edited by admin on February 10 2009 at 8:29 AM

Minimarket ~ Junko Shimada, 2009

When I say the word “swan,” what comes to mind? For many, it evokes images of The Ugly Duckling, a story about a duck who is mistreated until he blossoms into a beautiful swan. For others, it’s the “swan song” — a reference to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before it dies, when it sings one beautiful song.

Swan dress by Marjan Djodjov Pejoski

But for me, the swan evokes memories of Björk wearing the swan dress by designer Marjan Djodjov Pejoski. (A much happier association than ugly ducklings and death songs, I might add. Although, Björk definitely took a lot of heat for wearing it at the time.) Fast forward to the present and swans seem to be all the rage. Bad timing for Björk (who was simply ahead of her time?) but good for the rest of us.