Fashion's Portrayal of Female Sexuality Echoes Culture's Distrust of Sensual Women

Karen, Missy, Jessica, Hannelore, Elise | Steven Meisel | His Kind of Woman | Vogue Italia July 2004 SN Provocateurs

My own sensual thoughts are a bit of juicy bits today. One of the disadvantages of writing on two websites and in multiple channels is tracking all the connecting dots can get tricky.

Consistent point of view means more to me than anything, so I just can’t go with a hodgepodge assortment of unconnected posts.  I prefer columns with common themes and messages.

Last week, one of our more thoughtful readers Laura left this comment on a 2004 Steven Meisel editorial that we posted in Sensuality News Provocateurs.

To me, women are really sexy and provocative, the problem is, of course… they are not doing it for themselves but only for the dominant males. Male at the top, once again.

But… you know it and Vogue either, that this is a women’s fantasy. The problem is, if you try it, they lose respect. What do you think about this?

I then compared the Meisel editorial with the new ‘In the Mood for Love’ editorial of lush femmes, lensed by Mert & Marcus for Interview Magazine, asking

Unintentionally do the two editorials make dramatic statements about male sexuality and female sexuality, knowing that there are exceptions to the rule in the form of cold, sexually bitchy women and lush, sensual men?

Lara’s original question is actually focused on the submission of the women in the Meisel editorial. The Mert & Marcus editorial evokes a similar setup but the women seem more sensually connected.

Preview | Mert & Marcus | Karl Templer | ‘In the Mood for Love’ | Interview Magazine AOC Private Studio

Still not truly intimate, Laura challenged me this morning — even in the Mert & Marcus editorial. And I agree with her.

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