SS24 Womenswear trend preview: The evolution of fashion’s feminism

Rebellion intertwined with feminism has always been a part of fashion,
and can regularly be seen in how designers have communicated their values,
whether that be runways in the form of protests – think Karl Lagerfeld’s
SS15 Chanel show – or statements in the clothing itself – note the slew of
printed t-shirts in AW17 collections responding to Donald Trump’s election
bid.

As time goes on, and as history repeats itself, feminism’s place in the
industry has naturally evolved, as designers begin to explore new ways of
portraying female empowerment. This resulted in a vast contrast in
approaches within the collections of the AW23 season, with some lines
referencing feminist staples of the past, such as the Power Suit, while
others drew on the power of lingerie as celebration of the female form.

Speaking to FashionUnited on this simultaneous showcasing of emerging
trends, Fashion Snoops’ director of womenswear, Patricia Maeda, said: “With
social media providing real-time access to the latest new products and
micro trends bubbling up at every second, today’s fashion trends are much
wider (and faster) than they once were. I think that while there is space
for all the different themes to co-exist, what’s become clear is that the
top layer of creative directors today have a strong sense of who their
customer is and what they’re shopping for, therefore delivering on-brand
pieces which can ultimately take on different aesthetics.”

Witches rule the roost

Last year, conversations around the link between witchcraft and feminism
took on new forms, as witches moved up in status to become the ultimate
‘modern day feminists’. The shift was spurred by a range of new films and
publications on the topic, and eventually seeped out into the fashion
world, initially impacting SS23 collections, such as Versace’s lace-laden
black widows. The gothic take continued into AW23, with the likes of Aniye
Records and Acne Studios exhibiting equally provocative looks, many adorned
with symbols like crosses or flames. Such a trend has been largely steered
by former dominatrix and ex of Kanye West Julia Fox, who has become
somewhat of a poster child for this deviation to the dark side.

And it appears that we could expect more from the occult in the coming
season, as envisioned by trend researcher at Deutsches Mode-Insitut, Carl
Tillessen. During a presentation on trends for the SS24 season,
Tillessen noted a transformation in designers’ muses, stating they were
“sending not only angels but also fallen angels down the runway”. He added
that people were once again able to acknowledge their moral ambivalences,
noting: “It’s about uncensored and uninhibited sex for the advanced.”

Lingerie becomes an outerwear staple

While lingerie’s place in the daily wardrobe isn’t exactly new, its
growing use in runway collections hints at the shift in how such garments
are viewed in the fashion world. In the eyes of creators, showing skin or
drawing inspiration from underwear is actually a form of taking pride in
one’s body and highlighting the female figure, with recent iterations also
coming as an offset of the Y2K hype that has dominated the industry in
recent years. One backer of the trend is that of 2021 LVMH Prize winner Nensi Dojaka, whose
lingerie-like ready-to-wear has garnered her an acclaimed status. Speaking
to WWD, Dojaka said that showing the body “started more as a trend,
continued and is becoming a statement of empowerment and making the female
body ‘acceptable’, instead of being either scared [of seeing it] or
sexualising”.

Compared to other iterations of feminism on the runway, the lingerie
trend portrays somewhat of a softer take on the concept, often defined by
pastel colours and lightweight materials, such as chiffon or lace. Fashion
Snoops’ Maeda noted: “The shift towards more feminine and softer themes
showcase the growing desire to move away from the rigidity of patriarchal
structures and embrace a softer approach to fashion. In the current
societal landscape in which women’s body autonomy choices are restricted
and punished, reclaiming femininity becomes an important act of
emancipation. In this cultural landscape, clothes can reveal important
layers of the experience of feminine identity, from empowering bodily
displays via sheer layering or reclaiming sexualised items with lingerie on
display.”

Power Suits return in full subtlety

In its infancy, the women’s Power Suit was designed to give the wearer a
strong appearance in the setting of a male-dominated environment. The
two-piece was marketed as a look that every woman needed in order to
showcase their power as they began to enter the job market throughout the
20th century. Now, the suit’s meaning has dramatically changed in line with
the desires of the modern day, as the lines of its purpose continue to blur
and it becomes less of a status symbol. In the current setting, its
resurgence has been triggered alongside the ‘Quiet Luxury’ trend that has taken over fashion
in recent months, an aesthetic that is defined by subtle, toned-down looks
that are entirely logo-free yet are the epitome of high quality.

Trend forecaster Hilde Franq referenced such a trend in her semi-annual Colour Webinar for SS24, where she
linked the return of “real luxury” to the current unstable climate as
people look to the certainty of the past when faced with a turbulent
period. For Franq, this will be seen in customised and refined luxury for
the coming season, achieved through finishings and detail. Hints of this
could already be seen during the AW23 in the form of sleek tailoring, with
modernised cuts that still drew references from the past. While Alexander
McQueen presented sharp-shouldered, pinstriped two pieces, Balmain’s look
mirrored suits of the 80s, with distinct silhouettes.

Barbie continues her reign

Barbie’s place in feminism has been a highly disputed topic in the pop
culture world. However, many do collectively agree that the doll is what
could be considered a “feminist icon”, with arguments in her favour
typically being centred around the sense of empowerment she brings to young
children and her ability to inspire girls to pursue a vast array of job
titles. Last year, Barbie’s popularity was further reignited by the
revelation that Greta Gerwig was to release a film on the Mattel creation,
sparking a flurry of Barbie-esque fashion trends – namely a
surge of pink – on runways and in stores. Now, with the film preparing to
make its debut in July, the hype around this iconic figurine will not be
dying down, as evident in the prominence of looks that bore similarities to
the fashionable friend on AW23 runways. Links to the famous figure could
also be seen in Versace’s recent Cruise collection with Dua Lipa, where big
hair and fun prints took front seat.