FASHION IS THE NEW FEMINISM
The Fashion Industry's Helping Hand to the Confident Woman
For decades, fashion has been mistaken for a superficial business solely built on what is of the trend. While you may find this hard to believe, fashion has helped women ignite the fire that society has consistently extinguished from within. Like any other movement, there needs to be people and/or groups of power who reach a large audience in order for the message to be heard. High-end fashion companies such as Dior and Prada use their time on the runway to shine a spotlight on the importance of a woman owning her voice as well as her body.
The European gender inclusive brand that is Dior has confidently taken the torch to explicitly display the feminist beliefs thanks to Dior's own Maria Grazia Chiuri. Statement pieces in Dior's collections such as their Breton-striped blouse with "Why Have Their Been No Great Woman Artists?" written on the front are what draw attention to the important questions.
Chiuri took her time to exploit the evident sexism of the art world and its lack of acknowledgment to the artistic vision of women. Rather than using her pieces to symbolize a underlying meaning, Chiuri blatantly delivers her message to her audience full of editors and photographers who will spread her vision even more. Women in fashion such as Chiuri see the importance in breaking the glass ceiling and using their positions in high fashion to take a political stance.
While Prada is very famous for the self-discovery movie "The Devil Wears Prada”, it is also a renowned fashion company originating in Italy. Instead of stitching their message into a blouse, they decide to stitch theirs in between the lines. Prada's designs allow their audience to look deeper into the designs and see how they showcase the dynamic between the ideals of men and women in sex and romance as well as their opinions of gender politics. The Italian brand's bold choices of what designs walk the runway show the audience an updated visual on a woman who owns her sensuality. Prada is not afraid to use seductive designs to draw an audience in and truthfully break the boundaries of fashion between genders.
Haute Couture may not be hung up in The Louvre, but it's artistic status is just as important considering its forever evolving presence in our everyday lives. The art of fashion is the art of accentuating individual beauty. Fashion, high end or high street, gives people the opportunity to assert their sense of self. In a world where woman have gotten used to being silenced, their choice in fashion has given them the freedom to take control of their body. While they cannot change the opinions other hold on what they choose to wear, they can take control of how they see themselves by embellishing their bodies with what hugs them with the most confidence. Whether it is off-the-rack or on-the-runway, the feminist movement has laced itself into the progressive art that is fashion.
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