Photo of the day: Xu Fei’s Charleston

This week’s photo series is “CELEBRATE WOMEN” — directed by Nicole Chan, with support from other talented photographers. Women respond to the question “What empowers you?” in these raw, minimalist portraits.

“The Charleston, a frenetic dance epitomized by the sassy and fearless flappers, empowers me. I find it very fun, jazzy, innovative and powerful to advocate the beliefs of equality and liberation through the image of flappers and acting out by dancing. As the new women of 1920s, they won the right to vote, broke free from the restrictions of the Victorian age, had hair chopped to boyish chin length, neglected to clinch their waists, wore flashy stockings, painted their face with bright and bold cosmetics, danced the gleeful Charleston moves, and walked with a new, self-confident swagger. ‘It’s the cat’s meow!’”

– 徐菲 Xu Fei, photographed by Nicole Chan, Shanghai, China, 2018

Follow the series on Instagram @celebratewomenseries