Gender representation in the Aestheticism movement has been a topic of recent class discussion that has particularly captured my attention, especially in relation to current trends in many fashion arenas. Aestheticism was born out of the Brotherhood when the sexual orientation of the subject began to be examined.Cultural assumptions between biological sex and gender identification was being reassessed in artwork at this time. In Laus Vernier by Edward Burne-Jones (image on the left)
there appears to be a lack of clarity in gender looking at the female figure and its features. Burne-Jones removes the physical “gendering” qualities society expects via his physical representation on the figures. For example, the body expression has changed overall and there is an ambiguous gender presented. A degenerated figure opposite of the ideal female body is produced, and a new defiant woman challenging man’s power is introduced. Additionally, these elements create an aesthetic and sensual quality, rather than a societal standard of gender representation.
In regards to the current trends of gender ambiguity that have been circulated for the past couple years, there is a sudden push for aesthetic quality in fashion and questioning gender representation similar to Aestheticism. As seen in a photo of Lanvin’s design on a model (image above on right), the cut of the clothing suggests an ambiguous figure that harnesses both male and female qualities. For instance, the clothing has become more masculine and has moved toward a powerful woman that is opposite society’s typical female figure, thus disrupting masculinity. These decisions reflect designers’ response to current social norms dealing with biological sex and gender identity. Essentially, the way “gendering” society has performed was questioned in the late-18th century; moreover, these questions are brought up many years later in a physically similar manner through fashion trends on the runway.
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