Revealing Swimwear Embraces Lazy Living
In the ever-evolving world of fashion, a striking trend has emerged this season: the reintroduction of draping in swimwear. This aesthetic choice, symbolizing a desire to slow down in our fast-paced era, is making waves in the industry, with designers like Rick Owens and Pieter Mulier leading the charge.
This comeback of the fold, a design element with roots in ancient folds and togas, could be interpreted as a cultural choice rather than just a fashion trend. It might reflect a desire for a more relaxed, fluid aesthetic, contrasting with the straight, tense lines of technical pieces by brands like Speedo or Arena.
The reintroduction of draping into swimwear could be a symbol of resistance against the fast-paced, high-tech aesthetic that dominates much of modern fashion. American photographer Deborah Turbeville, who shot a fashion series for Vogue titled "There's More to a Bathing Suit Than Meets the Eye" in 1975, might have set the stage for this movement with her more poetic, softer register, contrasting with photographers like Helmut Newton or Guy Bourdin who were staging femme fatales.
Rick Owens and Pieter Mulier's work could be seen as a distant heir to ancient folds and togas. Their reworked folds are often combined with thick or fluid, sensual materials, creating a look that is both elegant and modern. The exhibition "Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style" opposes the fluid aesthetic of folds to the straight, tense lines of technical pieces by Speedo or Arena, offering a fascinating contrast.
The fashion series featured swimsuits of the season, mostly one-piece models with clean lines and devoid of patterns. This season, clothing and swimwear are focused on the theme of softness and lightness, a departure from the body-conscious, overtly sexualized styles often associated with the male gaze in fashion.
The use of folds in contemporary fashion might reflect a desire for a more relaxed, fluid aesthetic. The draped version of swimsuits is a hot topic, as it clothes the body without confining it, sculpts without constraining, and protects without hiding. This trend could be a testament to the influence of the female gaze in fashion, which emphasizes emotional depth, subjectivity, and agency rather than spectacle and objectification.
The concept of the female gaze has been adapted into fashion discourse, especially noticeable in the early 2020s on platforms like TikTok, where it contrasts with styles designed for the male gaze. The female gaze in fashion is associated with less body-conscious, more extravagant yet understated styles such as the "Ganni" aesthetic, old money, or quiet luxury looks. This approach rejects pandering to male desire and instead embraces autonomy and a broader spectrum of feminine expression.
Interestingly, the female gaze in fashion also influences men's style, encouraging diverse aesthetics like baggy jeans and Korean fashion, emphasizing comfort and individuality over traditional masculine norms.
The history of the female gaze in both cinema and fashion involves its evolution as a concept that contrasts and challenges the long-dominant male gaze, reshaping perspectives on representation, desire, and agency. The resurgence of draping in swimwear is a testament to this cultural shift, offering a more complex, reflexive, and ethical representation of women and desire.
In the context of the comeback of draping in swimwear, this trend could potentially be seen as an extension of the female gaze in fashion, promoting emotional depth, subjectivity, and agency. This aesthetic choice opposed to the straight, tense lines of technical swimwear may also signify a shift towards a lifestyle that emphasizes softness, fluidity, and comfort in both home and garden, and fashion-and-beauty realms.
