Spring 2023 Couture
Fashions Shift from the Male to Female Gaze
How modern fashion is leaving behind everything that conforms to the patriarchal perceptions of dressing ‘pretty’...
Margaret Atwood said,
‘You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur.’
Our society has developed with this ingrained patriarchy that has constantly sexualised women, specifically in fashion. Audrey Hepburn and Marylin Monroe, Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid; iconic, feminist women who despite their fame and power are all still victims of the male gaze. Since Kate Moss, topless in Vivienne Westwood’s SS94 show and nude in Stuart Weitzman’s boot campaign - not much has changed. Kim K recreated the same Stuart Weitzman campaign sporting a racy bodysuit that flattered her hourglass figure and in Bella Hadid’s ad for the Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama collaboration she was also topless, with the spotty Neverfull Tote Bag obscuring her chest from the camera. This accessories collection contributed to the LVMH group becoming the first fashion company to surpass €22bn sales in one year, proving the power of the male gaze as a moneymaking, marketing tool within the fashion industry.
Alexander McQueen’s final runway before his death, at Paris Fashion Week in 2009, was alien-like, intimidating and ‘feminist’ yet still erotic. Sarah Burton, creative director at the time, utilised print and textiles to elevate the futuristic runway, featuring unusual, anthropomorphic, hoof-like platform heels and exaggerated, protruding hairstyles. Inspired by a fusion of animal and human form, McQueen’s ‘Plato’s Atlantis’, discussed ideas of evolution, revolution and was in many ways a turning point in fashion.
The collection stepped away from the male gaze as the designs no longer conformed to beauty standards perceived by men. Although many of these cocktail dresses flattered the legs and waist; the symbolism of snakes throughout the show physically embodied this sexual potence that strayed from the male gaze, alike the gothic trope of the Vampire Woman.
Fast forward a decade, this alien-like, otherworldly aesthetic is becoming increasingly popular. Take bleached brows, wraparound sunglasses and androgynous dressing, styles derived from supernatural and unknown creatures that veer away from the human form. Following the long-awaited sequel of Avatar, the runways have seen blue centric to looks by designers like OffWhite, Bluemarine and Diesel. Modern beauty standards are evolving, inspired by extra-terrestrial life forms, fuelled by TikTok, Instagram and the growth of the Metaverse – fashion and beauty are universally abandoning the male gaze and redefining beauty.
However fleeting these styles and trends may be, it is critical to look at the parallel between these microtrends, the Couture looks seen in Paris Fashion Week and the overarching message about where fashion is headed in decades to come. This year Paris Fashion Week displayed some of the most enthralling and challenging Couture looks, featuring Schiaparelli’s controversial, fake-taxidermy animal heads, Viktor & Rolf’s topsy turvy ballgowns and Jean Paul Gaultier’s exquisite silhouettes. Construction and incredible technical skill were at the forefront of realising 2023’s haute couture designs.
Daniel Roseberry’s collection, titled ‘Inferno’ after Dante’s epic poem, depicted human frailties using literal sculptures of wild beasts. Schiaparelli’s gowns were accompanied by the leopard, the lion and the she wolf, symbolising lust, pride and avarice. The zoomorphic collection used the femme fatale aesthetic to stray from the male gaze, intimidating and trailblazing just like Viktor & Rolf’s runway show.
‘It’s an absurd take on the stereotype of a couture ballgown’
Rolf explained backstage, the collection featured ballgowns askew at peculiar, unconventional degrees that certainly play on the revolt against the male gaze, specifically the patriarchy of the 17th century. The ballgown being originally designed to show off a ladies decolletage and waistline at formal events or balls, this paradoxical take on the ballgown becomes rather theatrical and amusing. Intended or not, the perpendicular distortion of Viktor & Rolf’s eveningwear creates quirky silhouettes that escape the male perception of the female body. With the rise of creativity freed from the constraints of the male gaze as is the re-emergence of the silhouette. Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture collection with Haider Ackermann as a guest designer, featured a seamless fusion of textures and silhouettes. The ‘masculine’ tailoring strayed away from the male gaze while using delicate fabrics and feathers to redefine the idea of embellishment and flamboyance as ‘feminine’. My personal favourite being the magenta gown that encompassed the model’s torso and arms in an oval-shape, creating a perfect silhouette of a dress that abandoned the profile of the female body.
Yes, many designers in the past have created fabulous collections using inanimate objects as inspiration like Fredrik Tjærandsen’s vibrant bubble garments, Edwin Mohney's inflatable swimming pool dress or Bea Szenfeld 2014 SS collection ‘haute papier’ featuring mind blowing, abstract designs made from paper origami. Yet this time it’s different not only are high end designers forgetting about the male gaze but so are consumers and high street fashion stores. The rise of scandi-chic dressing casual and oversized along with the emergence of unisex dressing as the constantly growing queer community aid society in redefining gender as a social construct. Younger designer’s and online trends are finally straying away from ‘dressing to impress’ as Gen-Z are pushing society into this new era of fashion where garments are more than the surface value. Identity and authenticity are at the forefront of dressing for ‘the female gaze’ and for ourselves, so here’s to hoping that these problematic behaviours are unlearned with the help of our new generation of designers.