Common Language #12

Common Language" is a magazine focusing on lingerie and its relationship with society, published bilingually in English and French. It explores contemporary fashion and independent lingerie, offering a unique perspective on the subject.

In this issue:

Our increasingly binarized societies tend to exacerbate differences. Today, it has become common to oppose two concepts by resorting to semantic shortcuts. The way we present victory and defeat, too often reduced to a simplistic opposition between winners and losers, is the most symptomatic example, without nuance. It's not about questioning the results, but about rebalancing the values associated with them, as several of our guests in this special report on the role of women in sport demonstrate. The cult of performance and the competitive spirit are fertile ground for mental health disorders.

Within this framework, both in the media and in society, little attention is paid to supporting losers. Let's be bold: rather than consoling them, let's celebrate them. Because, even if they don't win the match, they are often the ones who learn the most. Social media has accustomed us to sharing only the best of our lives, to showing only smiles, encouraging comparisons, so much so that it's easy to fall into the trap of self-deprecation. Yet, nothing is more normal than going through rough patches or periods of failure—as artist Pierrette Bloch confided at the end of her life. Nothing is more normal than the time certain things require—as conductor Céline Pham reminds us, evoking the repetition of a movement, and singer Yoa, speaking of learning to dance. Nothing is more normal than seeking joy to counterbalance pain—as director and actress Géraldine Nakache suggests.

By welcoming all stories, this twelfth issue of Common Language reaffirms that there is no model to follow, no match to win, no shortcut to take: simply paths to take.