Photography: Alex Bramall
Women’s relationships with fashion are diverse and dynamic. Countless elements go into our sartorial choices – from societal programming and what’s trending to our moods. And while patriarchal norms may have once dictated women’s fashion, females today are unapologetically taking charge of their clothing choices, often reclaiming styles from the past. Corsets, for instance, were once used to help shape the female body, but caused pain and discomfort. Now, female designers across the world are creatively reinterpreting the corset as outerwear. “In most cases, they are constructed in a way that’s far more comfortable to wear than it was 200 years ago,” says Lewis. Modest wear designers have also entered this space. Modest wear designers have also unexpectedly entered this realm. Take House of THL, a label stocked at Ounass, which specialises in skin-covering silhouettes. “I’ve always been drawn to vintage aesthetics and the richness of cultural narratives,” shares founder Nighat Ahmad.
Worn underneath or on top of clothing, corsets and bustles are used to mimic and accentuate curvy hips and hourglass physiques. They may seem like simple elements of style, but in today’s fashion climate they can incite concern over authenticity and appropriation. And while unspoken histories may be woven into our clothing, Lebanese fashion historian Joe Challita emphasises that fashion is a form of self-expression. “ Designers have always looked to different cultures and histories for inspiration,” he reflects. “The bustle in the Dior look may draw on shapes associated with Black women’s bodies, but like so many creative ideas, it is rooted in reinterpretation.”
“Ultimately, a dress is never just a dress,” counters Emirati designer Rabia Zargarpur. “It carries history, and a design meant to be a creative statement can become a perpetuation of a harmful stereotype.” For her, Censori’s “nude dress” was disempowering, reducing women to their bodies. “It can inadvertently reinforce the very objectification that fashion should be working to dismantle,” she elaborates.
