Female masturbation is coming back "Stimulation pockets" make their debut on the catwalk

From the stiletto heels of Louboutin to the tight miniskirts of Gucci, and through the push-up bras of Victoria's Secret: for a long time, fashion has been a tool of seduction aimed at pleasing the male gaze. John Berger, author of the bestseller G., perfectly articulates this concept in the second chapter of his book Ways of Seeing (1972), where he delves into the male perspective and its implications for the portrayal of women in art and media. Berger analyzes how Western art has historically depicted women as objects of desire, often portrayed nude or semi-nude for the viewer's pleasure. Portrayed as passive subjects, reduced to mere objects of male fantasy, this modus operandi has been abused in advertising and mass media, further reinforcing harmful stereotypes and unrealistic beauty ideals. In recent years, designers, musicians, photographers, and image creators (especially women) have managed to overturn the narrative around the female figure, a gradual process culminating in recent runways of Courrèges and Di Petsa, where female pleasure not only had its revenge but took center stage.

Controversial Campaigns on Female Pleasure

In Di Felice's FW24 for Courrèges, pockets became a window to the orgasm, strategically placed at the front and centre of skirts and trench coats. For the presentation, a moving catwalk was designed to make the floor 'breathe' in harmony with the rhythm of the models who walked the runway and occasionally let escape sighs that suggested ecstasy. In London, Dimitra Petsa surprised the public with her 'stimulation pockets': in a video posted on her Instagram profile, models showed fingers slipping into triangular panels strategically placed between jeans and skin. The pocket designed by Di Petsa also takes the shape of a triangle above the genital area. According to the brand, this technique, kept secret for years, is a tribute by the brand's founder, Dimitra, to female empowerment through her designs. The interesting aspect of the masturbation pockets is that they are 'selling sex' like the controversial campaigns of the 2000s, but at the same time they shift the conversation to female sexual pleasure by removing the male gaze from the perspective of dynamics. It is an exploration, a discovery, a celebration of one's individual sexuality.