The Body: Fashion and Physique

I chose to focus on the 1980s section at the exhibit because I found the contrast to be incredibly interesting between the loose fitting clothing like those by Issey Miyake and the figure accentuating looks by Thierry Mugler and Donna Karan. Specifically, the Thierry Mugler dress pictured below (left), communicates a strong understanding of fashion in relation to the form of the female body.

I chose to further investigate this dress because I found that the silhouette of the dress relates to the ideal body shape of the time, in addition to the consideration of the structural material. In the 1980s, aerobic exercise and toned, muscular bodies were considered the ideal image and this dress accentuates a toned figure with its shortened hem to show off fit legs, the shoulder cutouts, and the cinched waist. All of these aspects are revealing, the structural parts of the dress are what make it unique. The additive peplum to the hips to make the waist appear smaller, in addition to the structured curving puff on the sleeve that adds to the allusion of a slimmer waist. The material of the dress is a heavy velvet and boning which reinforce the strong look of the time.

The designers relationship between fashion and body image of the time is incredibly considered and I believe relates to my design practice as well. As a designer I typically align my looks to accentuate a specific part of the body like the shoulders (as Thierry Mugler and Donna Karan did) because I believe that is the most structural part of the body. If your shoulders are accentuated in a piece it creates allusions that further enhance your body shape, most often in the ‘right’ way, that align with body ideals of the time.

Leave a reply

Skip to toolbar