Feminist slogans on fashionable clothes - what is it? Game or fight? Everyone answers this in their own way, but one thing is clear: feminism from fashion is doing an important job, destroying the ancient stereotype that feminists have nothing to do with fashion and generally despise fashion.
Feminist magazine without feminism
“Just let's get by without feminism. Our women don't like that,”I heard when I got into Cosmopolitan magazine. How do we manage? It sounded as ridiculous to me as being offered a Diet Coke. But what about the feminist core of Cosmo, but what about its editor-in-chief and inspirer Helen Gurley Brown?
Back in 1962, she published the book Sex and the Single Girl, where she urged women to become financially independent and lead an intimate life not only in marriage, but also before and without him. For example, one of her commandments for the magazine is: "When in doubt about whom to write about - a man or a woman (both characters are interesting), always choose a woman."
My puzzle didn't work out in any way. In 2014, I became the chief editor of a feminist publication in a country where feminism is not liked. It got to the point of being ridiculous. We gathered mini-focus groups and asked: "Who here considers himself a feminist?" Zero hands. "Okay, who here thinks that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities?" (and further in the program text). Everything! While I was writing this text and interviewing my acquaintances, none of my friends and editors of Cosmopolitan, except for one colleague, recognized themselves as a feminist, everyone denied themselves as best they could: "A woman should be feminine."
Actually, the problem lies in the word "should" and in the interpretation of the term "feminism" itself. A woman should only be one thing - to be what she wants, and be able to self-actualize the way she wants it herself.
Women are afraid to talk about themselves as a feminist or are outright opposed, because this immediately deprives them of the benefits of the weaker sex. They will immediately stop opening the door in front of you, they will not give you flowers and help you in solving problems. Feminism supposedly devalues reproductive labor, and in general all rights have long been given to women, what else?
Feminism has recently been spoken about in our country, despite the fact that in many families women have been and remain the main driving force since the late 1930s. My interest in the question arose when I finally learned how to make a magazine for a woman with an active position, without using the word allergen. And I'm not sure that anyone can rehabilitate this word.
For example, if tomorrow Natasha Vodianova declares herself a feminist, what will happen? This will be the main news of the day, but it will very quickly go to the tape. With modern information flow rates, we need 10-20-30 such admissions. Rather, the generation of women or even the word itself will change, because now there is neither a first lady nor adequate representatives of my interests in power in the country, and the majority of independent earning women, like zombies, repeat: "The man is in charge."
What's wrong with feminism in Russia?
Who is associated with feminism in Russia today? Pussy Riot group. But ordinary women are repulsed by their scandalousness. Modern feminism loves to shock the public, and people are afraid of this. Women's movements in Russia have existed since the second half of the 19th century, but the country has no idea about them. There is still no adequate dialogue between activists and women in general. And has he ever been? The program “I myself” with Yulia Menshova and Maria Arbatova pops up in my memory, and now everyone is watching “Let's get married!”, And it seems that traditional values are only getting stronger.
But on the famous first cover of Cosmopolitan in September 1994 with Cindy Crawford, one of the main takeaways was this: "Thirty-year-old, independent, confident Do you need a husband?" The question is now irrelevant. And judging by the latest research conducted for Sberbank and leaked to the network, young people strive for a patriarchal family structure, and independent girls do not inspire confidence in young people.
By the way, in Wikipedia, an article about feminism in Russia ends with a story about Leningrad dissidents who published the almanac "Woman and Russia" in the 1970s. A chapter on the movement in post-Soviet Russia has yet to be written.
And in this story, glossy magazines will not occupy the last place. They have become a reflection and example of the lifestyle they were striving for in the 1990s. Professional success, self-realization, sex and relationships, fashion, beauty and health - our women were more than ready for such reading. The first issue of Cosmopolitan hit newsstands in a matter of days.
“I think that in the 1990s, the topic of women's freedom was interesting to everyone due to its novelty,” says Oksana Lavrentieva, CEO of Rusmoda. - Then they played enough with this idea, and everything returned to normal. The women who surround me and I personally want to dress in a way that is pleasing to men. These are the clothes that the Alexander Terekhov brand sews, and we are not going to use either the clothes or the brand for public and political statements. We are for absolute femininity and against erasing gender differences, we are against making a woman look like a boy."
Feminism in fashion
Globally, the world of feminism looks very different. It features Beyoncé's hit Flawless on repeat, where Nigerian writer, singer and feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi says:
I am a woman,
They expect me to strive to get married, I'm expected to prioritize
Never forgetting that
The wedding is the most important thing.
Now marriage can be a source
Joy, love and mutual support, But then why do we instill this desire only in girls
And don't we teach the guys the same?
And yes, we keep in mind that Chimamanda grew up in Nigeria, where men are still the undisputed priority. Lina Dunham's voice of America is featured in her masterpiece podcast Women of the Hour, about all women's issues in the world, right up to the live broadcast from the gynecologist's office.
In this world, they watch a new film by Jim Jarmusch and see in his Paterson an indecisive man, whom women are now complaining about, like James Franco, who comes out on Womens March, because feminism has long been supported by men, minorities, and expatriates.
They also discuss the relocation of the pink hat (the symbol of that very march) to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the inscription on the Dior T-shirt in the collection of Maria Grazia Chiuri We Should All Be Feminists.
The decision of Maria Grazia Chiuri to publicly join the ranks of feminists is logical. Still, the first woman to head a great fashion house had to speak in the first collection. Fortunately, the timing was right: Bukhra Jarrar's transfer to Lanvin also refreshed the discussion about the involvement of women in the industry, about who makes what and for whom.
And, frankly, through these examples, through Rihanna and Chiara Ferragni in a Dior T-shirt, in a word, through pop culture, feminism has a much better chance of reaching women than through rebellious actions. Fashion has finally returned to one of its main purposes - to reflect the mood of the masses. And if now feminism is on everyone's lips, it simply must be in fashion.
Here are some more examples. The Close the Loop commercial reflects the idea of the H&M company - “everything is possible and fashionable, the main thing is to love yourself”. The company has spoken out against ageism, racism, sexism and other restrictions in society and fashion.
Prabal Gurung has released a column on how important it is to remember women of different sizes, nationalities and ages when creating a collection. “Fashion is the language I speak to the world, and I will use it to express my view of the world,” the designer explained. Meanwhile, a new wave of feminist freethenipple action has begun on social media, starring Kendall Jenner.
Puzzled by the presidential elections in November 2016, the American Vogue team released a T-shirt with the image of Hillary Clinton, which immediately appeared on the New York fashionistas. A little earlier, in September last year, several brands supported the women's theme at once: Opening Ceremony was invited to the presentation of inspiring women instead of models, and Stella McCartney's clothes were adorned with the words Thanks Girls.
Feminism has long ceased to fight only with legal inequality, so the argument “have given everyone rights long ago” is not at all relevant. Fashion legislators and movement activists want to free society from stereotypes imposed on men and women for centuries.
And feminism from fashion does an important job, destroying the ancient stereotype that feminists have nothing to do with fashion and generally despise fashion, oppose objectification of their bodies and promote unshaven armpits. No. Everyone has their own feminism. There are radical feminist communities that deny female attractiveness. But that's not all, and I'm not with them.
“I'm not a feminist, but I admire girls who are not afraid to show themselves, decide on brave and not always feminine actions,” says Natalya Goldenberg, creative director of TSUM. "I like strong women, boy girls and brave girls in hijabs, not because they shout slogans, but because they teach us to love ourselves."
The feminism of our time is for giving a woman the opportunity to choose, anyone. And do not subject her to public criticism. Do you want children? Give birth. Do not want? You don't have to give birth. Walking down the street in a transparent blouse, working among men at a construction site with provocative pink false nails - please.
Jane Fonda writes in her column on how she became a feminist: “The point is not to turn patriarchy into matriarchy, the point is to move from patriarchy to democracy. Feminism is democracy, and there is no beaten path to it, it has not happened yet, but we have never been so close to it."
“I am embarrassed by the proposal to fight for feminism and the wording“we should all be feminists,”says designer Vika Gazinskaya. “I don’t want to fight and don’t owe anything to anyone. It is important that women have the opportunity and the right to choose: stay at home, work, or, ideally, combine both without losing their feminine attractiveness."
It is completely clear to me that none of my friends can call themselves a feminist - because everyone will be spinning around their heads. At the same time, they all support the ideas of feminism. They, for example, are not ready to receive a lower salary based on gender and tolerate harassment at work. Of course, every woman doesn't have to be a feminist. But if we understand the concepts, then a working modern woman in a big city simply has no reason not to be one.
