On Women Designing for Women

The biggest conversation this season was fashion’s diversity issue.

Fashion has long been an industry run and fuelled by the talents and labour of women for other women. This is why it is still seen as frivolous and unserious, mostly because the patriarchy deems anything women excel at as unimportant and not a marker of skill. Fashion has since, of course, been given its flowers and accepted in social and business circles run by non-women and is today as a lucrative industry. Despite this recognition, the top jobs in esteemed houses have been largely reserved for men. Not just any men. White men designing for women.

Some of you may ask why this is a big deal? Well, fashion is not only reflective of the culture we consume but it also creates the culture, its norms and standards. These shows don’t just dictate what trends are to be popular in the next season and what we’ll see most women wear, but fashion, consciously or sub-consciously, dictates what it means to be a woman. While representations of the ideal woman are often laced with instances of racism, fat phobia and ableism, even when designed by women, the question of having all but a few women-identifying creative directors designing womenswear calls into question the effect of the male gaze.

Some of my favourite shows this past season were by women designers: Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Simone Rocha, Miuccia Prada for Miu and Rei Kawakubo for Comme de Garçons. These women are not just insanely talented but are pushing the envelope of what it means to be a woman today — in this society, with these limitations, and what being a woman could be. Let’s take a look.

Alexander McQueen

This show marked Sarah Burton’s final bow for the house, and what a bow! The collection was inspired by the female anatomy, the art of Magdalena Abakanowicz, the late Polish artist known for sculptural and fibre indoor and outdoor installations often resembling the vulva, and Queen Elizabeth I. The collection, which debuted in Paris, embodied confidence — the surety of a woman who need not prove herself. The show was dedicated to the late Lee McQueen, who Burton succeeded in 2010. In a press statement she said, “The show is dedicated to Lee Alexander McQueen, whose wish was always to empower women, and to the passion, talent, and loyalty of my team.”

Simone Rocha

I am biased because I am a HUGE fan of Simone Rocha. I recently purchased my first Simone Rocha dress and it has a prime spot in my closet. I would say that my everyday wardrobe resembles Rocha’s aesthetics and silhouette to some degree, so I knew that I would love this collection. The jury is still out on the Crocs. Rocha debuted her Spring/Summer 2024 collection in London which carried the theme of roses. I know what you may be thinking, florals for spring? The 3D roses made from bunched up fabric carried the house code — playfulness, femininity, whimsy.

Miu Miu

I’ve given you the schpeel on why Miu Miu is cool and why we ought to be paying more attention to her than her older sister, Prada, so I’ll just give you the rundown on the collection and why I loved it. This show was the epitome of the Wrong Shoe Theory, a philosophy which posits that to make an outfit look right, you should wear the Wrong Shoe. In the case of Miu Miu SS 24, that also meant the wrong trouser, short or shirt. The collection had an air of grace and playfulness combining both sporty looks with glittery ensembles. It felt wearable, and ultimately, it inspired me to find daring new combinations from clothes I already own. My only critique: the boat shoes have got to go.

Comme des Garçons

Rei Kawakubo said let there be light! She didn't actually say that but that is what her collection conveyed. The designer’s response to the horrific state of the world was colourful balls of fun in clothing (and wig!) form. The idea of silliness as a form of resistance stayed with me when viewing this collection. The notion of countering the doom and gloom with colour, laughter and weirdness reasserts our humanity.