Pushing Fashion Boundaries in an Era Without Any
By CATHY HORYN
Published: January 12, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/13/fashion/13NOTEBOOK.html?_r=1You can maybe understand, then, why designers and photographers want to perk things up with sex. Sexuality and gender crossovers are always a place to go, like a "Renaissance curiosity cabinet," as Professor Vinken put it, but especially now that the industry has become slushy with products, and luxury has lost some of its allure. And, as Mr. Dangin said, "We still have some big taboos about sex."
Last year, Givenchy arguably got as much attention for using Lea T, a transsexual model, in its advertisements as it did for Riccardo Tisci's collections. Ms. T, a friend of the designer's for years and a fit model for the house, appeared in fall ads. For his spring 2011 show, Raf Simons used Andrej Pejic, a model with long blond hair and girlish features, because, as Mr. Simons said, his collection of zippered cotton tunics and wide trousers dealt in part with the subject of transgender. "It's become a natural thing for people to change their bodies," he said.
