Why do we need more women designers?

[Creative]

Hello!

I think this is an interesting discussion that so far I didn’t really understand.

In some other fields women didn’t have the same opportunities than men and I would kind of understand this debate there, but when it comes to a feminine industry I’m more intrigued.

Till a few months ago we had three women in the three most important fashion houses: MGC at Dior, VV at Chanel, VN at Hermès. We had also FG at GUCCI, AF at Valentino and Gucci, at Chloé almost every designer (PM and KL aside) were women, Prada, Versace, Céline with Phoebe, Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen, now Givenchy, the new designer at BV…

Also, in terms of design I would understand that what usually people with prejudices would say is that women design a more practical fashion, but Sarah Burton for instance at Givenchy didn’t. Or Rei at CDG. And some men designers do have this practicality…

What are your thoughts about this matter? I’m genuinely curious about why there is so much push in every thread about discovering more women designers in an industry in which the three top positions were covered by… women till not so long ago and in which they are usually very well considered.

 

[tourbillions]

maybe because women are tired of being used for gay men's dress-up fantasies. There are many parts of the body that men will never understand about women and vice versa.

it's like asking women to design urinals for men. they would know how it works but could never put their foot on the actual function.

 

[Lola701]

I think it’s important to have women designers leading major fashion houses or leading creative fields period. I think there’s a sort of passivity that can be sometimes attached to women and their place in creative spaces.

Before WW2, there were a lot of women designers. They never saw themselves as artists and fashion wasn’t seen as any sort of art. After the war, men took ownership of the idea of fashion as art, women as muse and clothes as a way to « sublimer » women. That idea of devotion of beauty at the ultimate service of women.
It came with a great dose of objectification but women have always been willing participant, because they were the tastemakers (journalists) and the consumers.

What I think is dangerous is that there’s behind that discussion of women designers, a great dose of hidden homophobia pushed by most of the time, people who don’t work or get the industry.
Because, even if the fashion industry has still a lot of issues regarding prejudice to address, it’s still the industry where women and gay men can flourish. And even within the creative spaces, it’s still the most progressive industry: look in Art, Cinema, Music or in the Media, it’s not the same game.

And I mean, the most influential designer of the past decade is a woman: Phoebe Philo.

Now, there’s also another discussion that is more politics and that is more linked to corporatism. Women have an enormous disadvantage in corporate spaces when it comes to having access to top roles, either executive and creative. And it’s a discussion in every field.
At some point, some women will decide to have a child, have a maternity leave and what will be a shift a priority for a short period of time could be seen as a disengagement for suits. I had the luxury to decide what I wanted to do during my pregnancy and even to not work from a certain period of time.

In fashion, it’s the same issue. And for me it plays in the decision making of having a woman as a CD of a brand. When a brand is having an overhaul, they wants somebody totally dedicated an focus on the mission. Because executives are usually men, they have a kind safety in betting on a another man (who happens to be gay) for the job because they know if the person is ambitious enough, they will do the necessary hours for the thing.

Add to that the fact that women don’t allow themselves sometimes to be ambitious and you have a lot of women totally fine with being in the studios and having a nice work/life balance. Because the studios are filled with women.

Phoebe Philo left fashion to have her children and raise them. How many women could have afford that, just as a decision? That’s where having women leaders in executive spaces helps as they are willing to employ women because they will do the job. And it’s culture you create in a company. We see it with Chloe, Chanel, Dior and a lot of European fashion companies to be honest.

Finally, about the male gaze, beyond the perception from outside, as someone who started to work in fashion at 15, having left the industry years ago and now entering my 40’s, I’m glad I became a woman through the eyes of gay men instead of straight men. It gave me a lot of confidence and their kindliness maybe helped me to not be a desperate pick me looking for the validation of men. But maybe I was just lucky.

 

[minkflow]

i think there has been a rampant issue of males designing women’s fashion but obviously not knowing/caring about a woman’s body. tbh some designs come across as if they HATE a woman’s body. on the other hand, a lot of the designers throughout history that truly understood how to make clothing for women were male as well… maybe a balance of both genders would be more favorable?

 

[blueorchid]

I want to change a word in the title to present the question: "Why don't we need more women designers?"

I'm confused by your premise. Are you saying that we already have enough female fashion designers because of your examples?

 

[JohannesL]

I think this topic applies mostly to high/luxury fashion because their CDs are always part of the fashion conversation, but in reality as far as I know there is far more women designers that I have worked with in mass market fashion because no one knows better than themselves about ordinary women and their needs. High/luxury fashion is living in its long-lasting bubble to need Maria Grazia's feminism 101 class to educate itaelf.