Fashion has come to the forefront in modern-day feminism and through female-powered movements (like The Women’s March and #MeToo) as it can be seen as a vehicle for expression, pronouncement, and displaying one’s free spirit and individuality.
With the exponential rise of feminism that the United States has seen in recent years, it’s impossible to ignore the mark it’s made on the fashion industry. In the past, feminism has been wildy misconstrued and stereotyped to symbolize women who don’t have time for something as frivolous as fashion. As feminism now makes a bigger splash across society, the concept has become better understood and is now widely accepted as the simple belief that women and men should have equal rights and opportunities.
We are especially seeing a fresh take on feminism in the fashion industry, where women are finding strength in their feminine style, instead of perceiving it as weak and fragile. During the Alexander McQueen 2018 fashion show, WGSN Catwalks Director Lizzy Bowring commented that ‘there appears to be a quiet confidence emerging throughout the final shows of fashion month, seen in the representation of both fragility and beauty of womanhood.’
At the 2018 Paris Fashion Week, Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior centered her collection around feminism, women, and fashion inspired by the 1960s. Using the backdrop of a 60’s fashion magazine, Chiuri demonstrated her belief that this decade proved to be a catalyst for female independence and empowerment. Chiuri’s time working for Dior has coincided with America’s recent feminist uprising. She waves her feminist flag high, as she has quoted the Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her work one season and the art theorist Linda Nochlin in another. In 2018, we see iconic, influential women being celebrated for their womanhood, and it is empowering for women everywhere.
Likewise, in the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2018 Paris Fashion Show, modern themes were weaved between the typical high fashion aspect. We are now seeing an influx of artists and designers wanting to make feminist statements with their fashion shows and express their views of the events going on on in our ever-changing and chaotic society. A highlight of this show was the the Argentinian surrealist painter Leonor Fini’s contribution. The artist, who is well-recognized for her depictions of powerful women, provided the house’s first female designer with this season’s heroine.
Finding femininity and fragility in fashion to be strong, graceful, and powerful is what the 2018 runways are all about.
Finding femininity and fragility in fashion to be strong, graceful, and powerful is what the 2018 runways are all about. This is the year for women – letting nothing hold them back, whether it’s archaic stereotypes of feminism or clothing styles that are deemed delicate and fragile. This is the year to acknowledge that women are powerful in their own right, regardless of the style of their clothing. Modern-day feminism has woven itself into fashion, and will continue to break down stereotypes and prove that womanhood and femininity should always be celebrated.
Sylvia Pritchard is a twenty-year-old college student passionate about art, fashion, and her Chihuahua, Romeo. You can most easily find her sipping an iced vanilla latte on campus or going for a run outside. She currently resides in Pullman, a tiny town in eastern Washington where she studies Public Relations.
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