Even ministers cannot ignore the relevance of fashion, an increasingly important tool of political communication. Indeed: paying so much attention to what women in power wear may be sexist, but it’s not our fault that they fully exploit their good or merely adequate taste. Yolanda Díaz’s case is paradigmatic: her style, often so prim, is even more amusing because it is worn by a communist politician.
Almost everything has been written about Yolanda Díaz’s style (54 years old), a decidedly combative Minister of Labour who likes to dress as if she were a librarian or a secondary school teacher. Her wardrobe has been deeply analyzed and her fondness for clothes feeds the happiest nickname among the many they’ve given her: the Fashionaria, a playful bootleg of ‘fashion’ and La Pasionaria, or Dolores Ibárruri, the first woman to lead a party in Spain (she was secretary general and president of the Communist Party between 1942 and 1989).
It is usual for Yolanda Díaz’s looks to rank among the most celebrated outfits. It happened at the latest reception at the Royal Palace, on the occasion of National Hispanic Day: she wore a two-tone dress (white and black) from the brand Coosy. And it happened again at the ceremony awarding the latest Planeta Prize, with her red ensemble of trousers and a maxi cape, from the same Spanish firm.
One must admit: it’s hard for the Minister of Labour to put a foot wrong with a look. Hence the rarity of this anecdote which, given Yolanda Díaz’s prominence, reached news status. It all happened on the night of last Wednesday, when Díaz and her daughter Carmela attended a performance of the National Ballet at the National Theatre in Madrid. Again, Yolanda Díaz’s look at the ballet was positively commented, also in Mujerhoy. She looked stunning.
Carmela inherits her mother’s sense of style
Yolanda Díaz wore a navy blue midi skirt made in shiny fabric with a lot of movement, paired with a knit cardigan in the same color, with small bows as buttons. Her daughter Carmela wore a very sober look, the kind we rarely see in 13-year-olds: a black strapless top over a white shirt and black pants. Undoubtedly, she has inherited her mother’s sense of dressing.
It was days later, upon analyzing the photo of mother and daughter happily together, that the controversy jumped up precisely because of Carmela’s look. It all happened on Espejo Público, Susanna Griso’s morning show, where one of her collaborators raised the issue about the appropriateness of the bag the young woman wore. It is one of the famous Marc Jacobs utilitarian bags, nicknamed The Tote Bag. In this case, a beige fabric basic.
Carmela, daughter of Yolanda Díaz, with the bag at the center of the controversy.
In Marc Jacobs’ store, a bag of this style and size costs around 550 euros. However, Nando Escribano, a collaborator of Susanna Griso, picked up comments on social media indicating that the same bag is sold on a website for 42 euros. «You don’t say it’s a pirate bag, but that it’s second-hand», Griso tried to clarify. It was then that Escribano put an end to the matter:
Confirmed: the bag is fake
«Yes we know it. Yes we see that the one she carries, with the black lettering, is a counterfeit or imitation,» the journalist said. «The news is that the daughter is carrying a fake bag, promoting piracy,» added another collaborator of Susanna Griso. The controversy is served. And it is not the only one.
This same week, the duo formed by Yolanda Díaz and her daughter Carmela again sparked some controversy by traveling together to Sweden. It was not a vacation getaway, but a work trip of the Minister of Labour, hence the doubts about the advisability of mixing private and public matters.
Díaz ended it this way on her Instagram profile: «And, among all the work and meetings, perhaps the loveliest thing was sharing this trip with Carmela. In the middle of the cold and the schedule, she was my calm amid all the noise. The simplest and deepest reason for my happiness».
