Yohji Yamamoto’s advertisement portrays a model in a modern dress. Although evident from body figure type that it is a girl, the advertisement disguises her face under a helmet like mask. Her hair too, looks either pulled back and tied up or a short buzz/”boy” cut. The dress leans towards femininity through the fit and flare silhouette until knee level. However, the lower half of the garment depicts a gender neutral style. The pose that the model strikes appears non-feminine and leans towards a neutral appeal, just like the accessories – shoes and helmet. This advertisement certainly does not reinforce the traditional gender norms. This is because the female model is not portrayed in feminine clothing, pose or even background. I would not consider this advertisement to be completely subverting it either, however it does lean more towards this aspect. I say this because although the overall aesthetic of the model, pose and background leans towards a neutral appeal, the dress, silhouette and style in particular, has been created for and even portrayed on a female. “There are exceptions and ambiguities, but arguably neutrality has become a dominant theme, especially in menswear.”1 However, with this constant growth in menswear, this garment too, could be meant for menswear, and hence the gender identity of the model is left somewhat a mystery.
Kaiser, Susan B.. Fashion and Cultural Studies (p. 136). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.
