Fashion's Fetish Problem + Trends Post Brain Rot

Fashions female body fetishisation problem, the overconsumption agenda and words of wisdom

Mar 16, 2025

Welcome to ICYMI, an ad hoc edition of Fashion Tingz that’s part read/watch/listen recommendations, part places you need to visit, part fashion things you may have missed… and 100% a good time.

On today's agenda:

Female bodies in fashion photography continue to be fetishised
Cultural guardians protect and push forward Tokyo’s vintage scene
The cycle of microtrends in a post-brain rot landscape

And a ton more.

READ

Delve deeper with expert fashion analysis and commentary…

I love it when a Substack post isn’t afraid to get deep, and that’s exactly what

Bella Blue Bloss

does when unpacking the fetishisation and exploitation of the female body in fashion photography on Fragmentary Girl. It’s a must-read.

Fragmentary Girl

Fetishism, Freud and Fashion

“Fetishism, Freud first pointed out, involves displacing the sight of woman’s imaginary castration onto a variety of reassuring but often surprising objects - shoes, corsets, rubber goods, belts, knickers, etc. - which serves as signs for the lost penis but have no direct connection with it.” - Laura Mulvey, 1972…

9 months ago · 131 likes · 14 comments · Bella Blue Bloss

Conversations between creatives, especially in fashion, are some of my favourite posts to cosy up with, and this conversation on Mari’s Mosaïque between

Marieke Neleman

and

Laura Gulshani

is that exact type of vibe.

Mari's Mosaïque

Pieces of the Mosaïque: the colourful world of fashion artist Laura Gulshani 🎨

For the interview series "Pieces of the Mosaïque," I connect with inspiring, creative, and forward-thinking minds across fashion, design, arts, innovation, and strategy. Through these conversations, …

4 months ago · 5 likes · Marieke Neleman and Laura Gulshani

I rarely ask myself when purchasing something if I’ll still want it in six months, but maybe I should.

Chloe Mihailovich

writes for NEIGHBOURHOOD about how she tackles this exact scenario, and it poses some food for thought.

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Will I Still Want This in 6 Months?

I posted this video a few days ago, unboxing an Alexander Wang bag I bought after falling in love with it in NYC. The unboxing took a very fast turn, because when the bag was actually in my possessio…

a year ago · 171 likes · 18 comments · Chloe Mihailovich

WATCH

Here’s an excuse for some fashion-induced screen time…

Loïc Prigent, the French filmmaker behind documentaries on Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, and Jean Paul Gaultier, has turned his lens on Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior. His latest project, Her Dior – Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Collaborations with Women Artists, premiered on International Women’s Day.

For the latest instalment of Miu Miu’s Women’s Tales film series, director Joanna Hogg delivers Autobiografia di una Borsetta (Autobiography of a Handbag) — a short film where the real star isn’t the leading lady, but her legendary Miu Miu accessory. It's a dose of true Italian drama in style.

Maina Iimura isn’t just a vintage buyer — she’s a cultural guardian. As the force behind Tokyo’s iconic shops Banny and Pin Nap, she’s on a mission to keep Harajuku’s vintage scene not just alive but thriving. More than curating cool clothes, Maina is building a community where nostalgia is reimagined.

LISTEN

Plug in and zone out to these fashion gems…

Haider Ackermann is a man of many titles. As the Creative Director of Canada Goose and the newly minted head of Tom Ford, he’s balancing high fashion with high function. On this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Ackermann sits down for a pre-show confessional ahead of his Tom Ford runway debut.

Farfetch, once the golden child of online luxury retail, is now in the middle of a high-stakes crisis makeover. After teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, the platform was scooped up by South Korean e-commerce titan Coupang in 2023. The Debrief podcast gets into its rescue mission and what comes next.

In this episode of The Nordy Pod, Pete Nordstrom trades the boardroom for the front row, taking listeners on a whirlwind tour of Milan Fashion Week. Get the inside scoop on the trends, industry shake-ups, and the key takeaways from one of fashion’s most anticipated events — straight from the ground.

You should stop by…

London: if you’re in London and need a break from shopping, why not grab a matcha blondie, tahini brownie or lemon meringue pie at ALAÏA’s new bookstore and café on the third floor of its store on New Bond Street? In collaboration with Claire de Rouen and Violet Cakes, it sounds yummy.

Dallas: Dior is bringing a touch of Paris to Dallas with the debut of Café Dior, curated by Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn. Drawing inspiration from Dior’s archives, Crenn’s menu transforms iconic designs into dishes, such as a floral-infused consommé inspired by the Miss Dior dress.

Shanghai: the process behind crafting the golden tiles that adorn the Loewe store in Shanghai is a sight to behold. Each tile is meticulously handcrafted to achieve a radiant, reflective surface. If you get the chance to see the store IRL, be sure to snap a pic of the shimmering façade in all its glory.

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