“When you are a woman who makes clothes for women, then fashion is not just about how you look. It is about how you feel and how you think,” Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of Dior, has always defended. This is how transparencies have become a manifesto of female empowerment, with special emphasis in recent years on the part of generation Z.
If we go back in time, we will see that there were several Hollywood actresses in the forties and fifties who found in translucent, almost transparent dresses, an ally to strengthen their sexuality, although they were often questioned for it. This is the case of Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth, among others. Today they are emulated by centennials like Zendaya or Florence Pugh, who had no qualms about responding to all those who questioned the size of her breast on social networks after wearing a semi-transparent Valentino dress in her crusade against the hypersexuality of the body. Transparencies shine on red carpets; Warming up for the Oscars and the Goya, at the Golden Globes the award-winning Emma Stone wore it like no one else.
Now that the novena models have once again been on everyone’s lips, the braless slip dress that Kate Moss wore in 1993, at a party for the Elite modeling agency, has currently become a must on the moodboards of the most of the most prestigious fashion houses, taking into account that the same model and businesswoman wanted to pay tribute to that naked dress a few months ago.
“Moss is the best ambassador of this minimalist dress with a sophisticated design. It’s almost as if she invented it, since we’ve seen it on red carpets for twenty years and it’s one of the star system’s favorites. Although, at the time she said that this nudity was due to the light of the flashes, it is clear that, deep down, what she was seeking was to demonstrate that nothing should come before the perception of one’s own beauty,” says Joy Clemens. , Styling teacher at the Central Saint Martins school in the British capital.
This winter, transparencies are present in the collections of the large maisons and those of independent design firms, as well as those of brands whose audience is the new generations. “The most curious thing is that we do not find radicalism in the majority of the proposals, but a clear tribute to the most exquisite sewing, with bows at the neck, puffed sleeves, ruffles, embroidery, inlays… In addition, accessories such as ballerinas are used and the headdresses and the pattern are midi and maxi. A clear example of this is Simone Rocha, who has managed to merge, once again, transparencies with that aura of baroqueism that has catapulted her to fame,” explains Michelle Connors, stylist for Grazia UK.
In this mix between provocation and the most naïve aesthetics are two brands with great international projection born in our country, La Veste and Marta Martí. Likewise, in a sporty key we see how the transparent midi skirt is combined with a hooded sweatshirt by the French brand Antik Batik. Dior combines this same length of skirt with transparencies and appliqués with turtleneck sweaters, cardigans and accessories such as sunglasses with silver details.
“They are suggestions that, no matter how much they denote a certain nudity, they have that allure of classicism that also means wearing a Hermès carré as a top, as actresses did in the sixties and eighties. The body is shown or sought to be shown, but always with that restraint and elegance that accessories such as a bow tie, a bow tie or a pearl necklace also provide,” adds Clemens. That’s where she wanted to find her Jimmy Choo space with her fabulous accessories. In our country, this has been the dominant guideline in the new jewelry collection from La Manso, a brand that both Blanca Miró and Rosalía adore.
In this perennial search to radiate elegance while the body can be guessed due to the translucent fabric, we find the sophisticated garments of Lebor Gabala, with metallic details and in combination with coats in saturated tones, as well as the layering of Forte Forte. Organza and tulle, as symbols of fragility, merge with cargo pants, oversized trench coats and combat boots to create that elegant, avant-garde and very feminine image that dominates trends for yet another season.
This winter, Loewe even paraded one of its models with just a silk cape in bright white Pantone and black boots with rhinestone details and a sharp toe. Empowered sensuality.
“Wearing naked clothing is quite a feat. The risk of falling into vulgarity is high. That is why it is admirable how several brands have managed to create outfits whose common denominator is absolute exquisiteness, becoming the favorites of Gen Z”, remarks Anthony Foreman, Fashion Buyer for Selfridges in the UK. We found there from Dolce lace
In the field of decoration we see how several firms also seek to emphasize the beauty of the human body. This is the case of the Nanimarquina rug collection with drawings by Chillida. “In more virginal territory, I dare say, lies Rug Company, with those Victorian-style finishes and even the sculptural lamps by Akari for Vitra. And on the table or on the dressing table, there should be no shortage of porcelain or glass, thickly cut and without frills, as we see in the new Vista Alegre collections,” highlights interior designer Julieta Monzón, with her own office and a professor at the University. Polytechnic of Madrid. Christian Dior already said it in his golden age: “By being natural and sincere, one can create revolutions without having sought them.”
