Co-written by Aida Toro

Artistic Photo Series: Frida in New Jersey by Carlos Coste

Hair and Makeup: Frankie Sanderson

Model: Aida M Toro

Location: Lolita’s Mexican Cantina, North Bergen, NJ

PR: Great Social Cub 

In honor of Women’s History Month, this article is a tribute to Frida Kahlo, or seen on her birth certificate as Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon. Women all over the world revere and admire this woman that hailed from Mexico, who is known today as a cultural icon.

In 1984, Mexico referred to her as their National Treasure, as she was the pride and joy to the people of Mexico while being the runner up to the Virgin Lady of Guadalupe. It is safe to say that Frida Kahlo is the ultimate “girl crush” to many across the globe. Lately, we’ve witnessed a worldwide “Frida Cult” obsession with iconography and her style, all the way from clothing to tissue boxes. Her image may be seen as overly commercial because she has become the ultimate icon. The fact of the matter is that a Mexican woman has impacted the world, but also placed a piece of Mexican culture globally in people’s homes. Let’s delve a little into her history and learn what makes her such a badass.

In the home of La Casa Azul (The Blue House), in Coyoacan, a small poor town on the outskirts of Mexico City, Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon was brought into the world on July 6, 1907. She was the daughter of a German-Hungarian father and a half-Spanish, half-indigenous Tehuana mother, which made her unique as a mestiza, "mixed-race woman.”

When the Mexican Revolution began in 1910, Frida was already three years old. She would share memories running into her home and remembered men leaping over the walls in her yard, as well as her mother making meals as her way of supporting these revolutionaries. By the time she was six, she contracted polio and also suffered from spina bifida, which affected both her spinal and leg development. Although she was caught with these unfortunate health conditions Frida did not allow limitations, as she participated in athletics such as boxing, wrestling, fútbol, and swimming, which weren’t common for a young lady throughout this time in history, even more so, with these sorts of medical conditions. 

The most pivotal moment in her life came about in 1925, at the age of 18. She was in a horrific accident while on her way home from school when she was on the bus, as the automobile was hit by a trolley car. Her body violently fell on a steel handrail that ran through her body, going through her pelvis, which resulted in fracturing her spine in three different places. Beyond those severe injuries, she acquired a dislocated foot, broken rib, and collarbone. At a young age as a child with her ailments, all the way from polio to physical disabilities to the horrific automobile accident she experienced at the age of 18, Frida had clearly proven herself as a fighter, both in mind and spirit. 

During the time she recovered from her severe injuries, Frida began to create self-portraits. In 1929, at the tender age of 22, she met muralist Diego Rivera, who was 43 at the time and became her husband. The marriage itself was never easy for the couple, as Frida underwent many surgeries for her back and leg and spent months in a body cast during that time, which inspired Diego to have numerous affairs. Though they tried to have children, the vehicle accident left Frida unable to carry a child. She had three abortions, combined with a divorce from her husband, only to shortly remarry him again. During that time, she endured. Endure is the proper word to describe Frida’s strength, as she not only lived through emotional and physical pain but also asserted her independence in a male-dominated society. Frida stayed true to her voice in her actions by being openly bisexual and fighting for the poor in joining the Mexican communist party. She rebelled in her fashion, embracing her indigenous heritage by wearing rebozos and braiding her hair in the traditional Tehuana indigenous style. 

Present-day, Frida is revered as the ultimate feminist to many, as well as an inspiration of liberation and courage through her painfully honest self-portraits, her art tells her true story of her life as a woman who faced many challenges and never allowed it to define her. For the Mexican culture, her suffering and authenticity towards staying true to her voice has deeply touched many, especially through her art. In addition, she hails from an inspiration of strength and endurance that is a representation of the Mexican people and why she is seen as their Patron Saint, principally for the Mexican women and country as a whole.  Frida is indeed, so much more than a girl crush...she truly is a modern-day Goddess.