As women become more empowered, the fashion world is changing along with them

Femininity is something to be celebrated, no matter what form it may take in fashion. Photo: Rodarte

In the 21st century, women are more empowered. Their dressing – or, how they should dress as envisioned by a designer – is more fluid and less restrained, as well.

The concept of femininity in the fashion world has evolved. As much as a flowy dress is feminine, so is a well-tailored pantsuit.

Self-love and body positivity can be regarded as sexy. The idea of girl power makes appearance after appearance on runways, spotted in the form of slogan T-shirts with phrases like “We should all be feminists”.

Labels and brands are also waking up to the fact that there can be no single description for “the woman of today”.

On International Women’s Day this month, the Council of Fashion Designers of America paid tribute to its founder Eleanor Lambert.

She created the organisation back in 1962, and stayed as an honorary member until her death in 2003.

Lambert is hailed as the person who helped put American fashion on a global stage. She also championed fashion as an art form and expression of culture.

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Today, women are seen leading some of the most prestigious fashion houses. A big change from the 1950s to 2000s, where top talents were men.

Take for example, the creative director of Dior – Maria Grazia Chiuri. In 2016, she became the first woman appointed to lead the ateliers and design teams in a 69-year history.

When it comes to the Spring/Summer 2022 womenswear collections, designers are seen drawing from varied inspirations.

Some channeled freedom and sensuality, while others looked to ladies from all walks of life. Skirts, pants, dresses, heels, sneakers and more, there is no limit to female fashion essentials.

The central message of it all? Femininity is something to be celebrated, no matter what form it may take.

The Alexander McQueen campaign celebrates women of different looks. Photo: Alexander McQueen

I'm every woman

For Giambattista Valli, feminism does not have to be all about having a hard edge. It can be romantic and sensual too.

“Don’t be scared of beauty,” he declared to runway guests before his show last year. “Sometimes people don’t know how to handle things that are really beautiful.”

His clothes for the Spring/Summer 2022 season underscore the notion that girly looks can be as equally empowering as a masculine suit.

“I like the idea of new feminism: girls, who have the power to be girls, in heels and T-shirts, almost naked, free to be themselves and not hidden,” Valli reiterated.

Pretty dresses can be seen as empowering too. Photo: Giambattista Valli

Of course, women are no longer expected to be soft and submissive. It does not however mean they can’t be a princess if they want to either.

“There are some that can do it very well,” Valli told Vogue, about how different takes other than his own can exist. “But not everybody has to like that. There are different facets to fashion, and I think I’m very strong in this one.”

Rodarte also turned to pretty clothes to send a message about a freedom of choice.

The label presented flowy designs that sashayed down the runway. There were even models who walked barefoot, showing the unfettered aspect of modern womenswear.

Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the sisters who founded Rodarte, pivoted to designing chic loungewear, silk pyjamas and comfy leggings during the pandemic. Now, they are back to dressing ladies for a fun time out on the town.

The duo has called out the industry’s longstanding gender imbalance in the past.

“There are very few (fashion) houses led by women, and I think that’s unfortunate,” Laura said, in a 2019 interview with InStyle.

“The few women I see in those positions worked really long and hard to get there, and I don’t see that with our male counterparts. Someone does one cool collection as a young male designer and they are in a house. We can all leave it to our imaginations as to why that is.”

Their current designs seemingly float as the models walked – ethereal and relaxed as they are.

Certain dresses come with capes. An ode to superheroes perhaps? Or maybe just a way to highlight the enduringly soft side of femininity.

Where there are blazers, they instead present themselves with floral prints or easy-breezy frills.

Beyond one look

Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, celebrated the many faces of modern women for Spring/Summer 2022.

A suit is often thought of as masculine. It doesn't have to be. Photo: Dior

The campaign features an extensive cast of diverse models.

They include Awar Odhiang, Lucia Fairfull, Celina Ralph, Sora Choi, Anok Yai, Arta Gee, Lara Stone, Eny Jaki, Wali Deutsch, Jill Kortleve, Cassie Wong, Fran Summers, Achenrin Madit, Florence Nicholls, Guinevere Van Seenus, Modupe Oluwalade and Jennifer Ball.

Yet, it is not just about the marketing aspect. Burton herself has stated in different interviews that she was inspired by the women who came into her studio for the collection’s fittings.

She took a step back and changed designs based on how they look when worn. It was not a matter of her imposing a set style on the people putting on her clothes.

This resulted in a unique, more fluid “language”. Leather jackets were paired with ballerina-like skirts, or pretty dresses transformed into a street outfit with combat boots.

As for Chiuri, while she has always been a fan of flowing, diaphanous designs, her couture looks this season appeared as more structured. With a trouser suit, she managed to bring out the chic quality of tailoring – a big contrast to menswear. There were also more gender-neutral and versatile pieces like jumpsuits.

Talking about the freedom that womenswear can offer, a designer even launched her own abaya NFTs on International Women’s Day.

“Now in the metaverse where creative aspects are limitless, I consider bringing both physical and metaphysical aspects together in a female, nonchalant undertone, with the results of this ‘urban cool’ abaya collection, to bring my creativity to a higher level,” Ilja Visser commented.

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Dutch-born Visser believes that women should be unapologetic, acting on their strength and comfortable with their own beauty. To her, fashion is unrestrictive and the notion of femininity is very broad. Abaya or a dress, even a suit, it is about how one feels wearing a particular garment that matters.

“Every woman should own a suit that they feel comfortable, relaxed, feminine and ‘soft’ in,” she said on her website.

“A suit that they can wear all-day long for multiple occasions ‘on-the-go’ in various ways of styling; but always looking strong, sophisticated and ‘casual-chic’ whatever the day may bring.”

Womenswear can exist in many different forms. Photo: Ilja Visser

Women like Miuccia Prada, Vivienne Westwood and Donatella Versace have long succeeded in the industry doing things their own way. That said, there is a sharp rise in young female talents given their due recognition in the past decade or so.

For example, singer-songwriter Rihanna became the first woman to create an original lingerie brand at fashion conglomerate LVMH in 2019.

This is as should be, because womenswear needs to be about celebrating the female point of view.