It's time to talk about *that* Miu Miu SS22 set
What do Nicole Kidman, Saweetie, Zendaya, Yugo Takano and Paloma Esser have in common?
They have all chosen - or have all been chosen - to wear that Miu Miu set. Last October, while most of us were freezing in Paris, trying to run from party to party in an attempt to make up for lost time, Miuccia Prada presented her Spring Summer Collection of 2022.
For fashion critics and bloggers alike, the collection was a hit. What a marvelous idea, to be cropping up knitwear and your run-of-the-mill office beige-ish skirt. To hell with these codes and habits - we’re not going back to the world as it used to be. Miuccia Prada had the girls of 2020 in mind, those whose 20s went up in flames for a couple of years. Those who didn’t get to live, the “most wonderful years of their life”, the way they wanted to. She knows these girls are all about change. Their school uniforms are rebellious, disruptive. Chopped up. Just like the rules their parents set out for them. She had these girls in mind. Well, only if they fit the young skinny type, that is.
Hailey Baldwin stars in Miu Miu’s SS22 Campaign.
Emily Ratajkowski wearing Miu Miu SS22 at the CFDA Fashion awards.
Miu Miu SS22.
Why on earth were there no non-sample size bodies?
Gen-Z girls are different than their mothers. They care about what’s behind a brand. They still desire clothes and style, but they crave meaning and authenticity. They need brands to be mindful about their waste, their impact on the planet. Their image. The causes they push forward. At least a little bit. They need their brands to not go against BLM, to support the evolution of beauty standards. At least a little bit.
So why was this fashion week the least body-diverse in the last 5 years?
“1 out of 5 Women in France is a size 40 (8 USA, 12 UK). More than a third of women in France wears a size 40 or 42 (8-10 US, 12-14 UK). ”
Models, actresses and artists alike have chosen to re-appropriate the set, explaining in not so many words that it is in fact meant for those who weren’t represented during the show.
Months later however, when editorial season came upon us, that Miu Miu set seemed to take a life of its own. Dazed Korea styled male model Yugo Takano with the mini-skirt and cropped cerulean knit situation. Paloma Esser said “I’m wearing it too”. No matter whom it was made for, the model took it back. There isn’t one standard of beauty out there anymore - fashion may still forget, but Paloma doesn’t. And the thousands of girls watching don’t either.
Miu Miu SS22 was presented during Paris Fashion week - and the Spring-Summer 2022 season celebrated sex in all its forms. With the revival of the late 90s and early 2000s came the reminiscence of what was once Tom Ford’s world, with a porno chic ambiance that was hard to shake (pun intended). And whilst the liberating effect the movement had on society, some of its conceited ideas should well remain in the past.
Nicole Kidman suffered great hate when the Hollywood issue of Vanity fair came out. Criticised for wearing something that was deemed inappropriate for her age, she was also considered “an accomplished actress”. But what does that mean, exactly? Are we, women, to milk that beauty train until time takes over? Or are we to take advantage of our looks until we finally reach a decent position and no longer need them? Is showcasing something we are asked to strive for our entire lives irrelevant once we achieve success?
And what if we don’t have the looks?
Nicole Kidman on the cover of Vanity Fair’s 28th Hollywood issue. Styled by Katie Grand. Photographed by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari.
A comment below Vanity Fair’s cover post featuring Nicole Kidman on instagram.
Fashion Blogger Bryan Boy saving the day.
This isn’t to say that every single person on earth should be “allowed” to wear Miu Miu and that everyone should agree on it. Likes and dislikes are a thing of the heart, and if you had prefered to see them in a different outfit, that’s fine. But the underlying ageist, sexist and fatphobic assumptions that support these comments were quite striking. I have not seen one look in recent fashion collections that was able to divide people in such a clear-cut manner. And I love seeing how it raises so many different sore points in our society. I will leave you with this quote that I found reading Vanessa Friedman’s articles on fashion week, and a few images of other famous peeps rocking the Miu Miu look.
Paloma Esser on the Cover of i-D
Zendaya for Interview Magazine, styled by Law Roach.
“As I hope that at some point the lines on our face will once again be seen as an indication of life lived that should be celebrated rather than erased, I also hope some day we can embrace post-child-birth tummies (...). But I know we are not there yet.”
Yugo Takano for Dazed Korea, February 2022.
Saweetie in Miu Miu SS22