Bare seems to be a recurring trend during fashion week. We don’t mean with just makeup, but also the sheer materials used to show off skin—more notably bringing back the #FreeTheNipple movement.
Lace and mesh had their moment at the runways of New York, London, and Milan. In fact, we even saw personalities like Tricia Centenera and Liz Uy also sporting sheer pieces last week. Meanwhile, designers saw this as a way to put a feminist message forward.
According to Forbes, what the fashion industry “has inherently done is desexualize female chests—displaying them not as objects of desire, but symbols of raw beauty.” Calvin Klein, Prabal Gurung, and Versus Versace weren’t subtle with full-frontal sheer pieces on the runway.
The first two designers also made clear political statement during their respective shows. Calvin Klein played David Bowie’s “This Is Not America” in the background, and Prabal Gurung ended with “The Future is Female” tees.
Naeem Khan also expounded on the “underwear as outerwear” trend. Models wore chic blazers on top of lace bralettes, hiding their breasts ever so slightly.
Other bare looks included embellishments to further accentuate the women’s form. Kendall Jenner made headlines as she opened for La Perla in a white naked dress, peppered with pearls and lace. Take note that this is also the woman who has no qualms about exposing her nipples. Also following this example were Jenny Packham and Adam Selman who showcased pieces that had sequins and rhinestones.
This is a daring trend for many, but it’s powerful—an upfront statement against sexism and misogyny showcasing that there’s beauty in the bare. As photographer Peter Lindbergh puts it, portraying the female body mustn’t be centered “around perfect bodies, but on sensitivity and emotion, stripping down to the very soul of the sitters, who thus become more nude than naked.”
Art by Yayie Motos
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