If there was one dress that left everyone, quite literally, speechless at the 2024 Golden Globes Awards, it was quite easily Gillian Anderson’s Gabriella Hearst concoction.
Her white gown, was delicately embroidered with line drawings of vulvas (which could easily be mistaken for botanical florals) the internet has dubbed the ‘vagina dress’ the sartorial standout of the awards ceremony.
But while the Sex Education star’s choice was bold, it's nothing new in the world of fashion. The trend of female anatomy illustration, namely boob art and vagina line drawings on clothes and interiors has been going strong since the pre-pandemic era.
One of the most prominent advocates is Anissa Kermiche, whose jewellery and homeware collections exploded in popularity during Covid. Her ceramics are designed with the intention to explore the erotic links between womanhood and sexuality and she makes jewellery that glistens with sex appeal through the use of whirling petals, flirty stamens and what she calls, "tenacious but delicate genital forms."
This movement aligns with a broader societal shift towards embracing body positivity and challenging traditional norms regarding sexuality and gender representation. Artists and designers are increasingly utilising these motifs as a form of empowerment, celebrating the female form and pushing back against long standing taboos and censorship surrounding women's bodies. Even post #metoo women's rights are still being tested around the world. This is something Anissa is aware of in her work, "It is important to me women have the right to freely express their femininity and sexuality and still feel safe," Anissa told Hello! Fashion in 2023, "when looking at the bigger political picture, for instance the current persecution women are facing in Iran, or the removal of abortion rights in the US."
“The little black and white line drawing of a pair of boobs has been a homeware and clothing trend for some time now,” reported Lauren O'Neill from Vice Magazine back in 2021, “Just ask any millennial woman who has shopped on the high street (or its online avatar) in the past four years or so.” Back in 2017 Barcelona based brand Paloma Wool, created white button down shirts with nude female forms stitched onto them. They were an immediate influencer-approved success with Camille Charrière and Laura Jackson posted pictures of the 'titilating' design on their Instagram feeds.
Incorporating these designs and statements into everyday items like clothing and homeware serves as a statement of self-acceptance and an assertion of identity. It reflects a desire to normalise and destigmatise the female body, particularly aspects that have been historically objectified. Of course Gwenyth Paltrow’s ‘Vagina Candle’ also comes to mind when we talk about merging eroticism and aesthetics. During a Q&A on her Instagram Stories last year, the Goop founder told her followers that she created the viral ‘This Smells Like My Vagina’ scented candle, to send “a really strong feminist statement.”
The trend clearly resonates with the ongoing feminist movement, one that Gillian has been supporting even before nabbing the role of sex therapist Dr Jean Milburn on her hit Netflix series. “Women centric issues have always been important to me but since doing Sex Education, women’s health has been a topic that has been brought to me quite a lot," she told Hello! Earlier this month, “There are so many taboos, oddly, even in 2023, that are still around discussion about women's bodies, about sex, about menopause."
Of course, there's an aesthetic appeal to these designs. They offer a blend of simplicity and provocation, often executed in minimalist and abstract styles that appeal to contemporary tastes.
Gillian’s dress represents a shift towards greater openness in discussing and portraying bodies and sexuality, while also serving as a stylish choice.