The influence of gender roles on fashion and design explained by the MoMu of Antwerp

It’s no secret that, since the dawn of time, women have carried the weight of a flawed society, its ideals, male expectations, and a constant need to appear as woodland fairies, not only physically perfect but also willing to take a backseat. Beware of the one who dares to shine a little brighter than what is deemed acceptable, for her sentence would be irreversible: she would be forever labeled as a tease, superficial, or even a serial seductress, and history is here to confirm it. If in the 1980s power dressing allowed women to conquer masculine attire and partly the status that came with it, women have rarely been placed at the forefront of the fashion stage. "In the domestic ideology of the 19th century, women play a prominent role as 'embellishers' of both themselves and their interiors. For comfort, the mistress of the house decorates her home with soft cushions, smooth textures, curtains and draperies, handcrafted items, and many trinkets. Her body is also burdened with multiple layers of fabric and trimmings, risking blending into the interior until she disappears into the decor." confirms the MoMu, the Fashion Museum of Antwerp. But beyond these few lines and the full description found on its website, the museum does not limit itself to words in expressing how gender issues have influenced fashion on design for years. Starting on March 29, the museum will host "Fashion & Interiors: A Gendered Affair", an exhibition tracing the influence of gender roles on fashion and design.

Through this exhibition, the museum curator Romy Cockx explicitly demonstrates how the consumption habits of Western societies in the second half of the 19th century shaped a bourgeois ideal, confining women to their domestic role. However, the exhibition is not limited to fashion; it also shows how architects of the time played a role in reversing this trend, examining the impact of influential creators in modern history as well as the reciprocal influence between fashion and interior design in recent years. To achieve this, the exhibition traces the work of historical male designers such as Henry van de Velde, meticulously analyzing their pursuit of harmony and how they combined fashion, architecture, furniture, decoration, and accessories to do so. It also features leading Belgian figures and Houses like Maison Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons, and Hussein Chalayan. The exhibition, which will end on August 3, will highlight the impact of social concerns, sustainability issues, and overproduction on fashion and design over the past two decades. It will also explore the contemporary obsession with the home as a sanctuary and how fashion brands are increasingly incorporating interior design elements such as bedding, rugs, and chairs into their collections. Join us at the end of the month to unite in this quest for harmony between fashion and design, both old and new, but most importantly masculine and feminine.