Her looks, both on the red carpet and the performance, seemed to me to hearken more to the pre raphaelite movement, which adopted a very romanticized and stylized “medieval” aesthetic, and to the fantasy genre far more than anything historical. I thought it was quite effective and appealed to her younger, predominantly female fan base exactly as intended. I have studied and enjoyed medieval history for 30 years, but I’m also a fan of fantasy literature (for even longer) and I personally loved Chappell’s VMA looks. Historical accuracy was never the goal.
Her looks, both on the red carpet and the performance, seemed to me to hearken more to the pre raphaelite movement, which adopted a very romanticized and stylized “medieval” aesthetic, and to the fantasy genre far more than anything historical. I thought it was quite effective and appealed to her younger, predominantly female fan base exactly as intended. I have studied and enjoyed medieval history for 30 years, but I’m also a fan of fantasy literature (for even longer) and I personally loved Chappell’s VMA looks. Historical accuracy was never the goal.