June Gibbs
Keywords: Male gaze, Imposed modesty, Friction
Internship: Florentina Leitner
'More or Less' explores the desire to embody the ideal woman, only to unravel into absurdity and imposed identities. It reveals the tension between modesty and eroticism, and the ‘play’ of negotiations between the ideal and the real. The collection reflects on stereotypes, beauty standards, and the psychological weight of dressing in a world where beauty dictates value; the act of getting dressed becomes a ritual of contradiction, a daily performance shaped by the longing to be seen.
My research revolved around the historical roots of female fashion, from the strict codes of the Victorian era to the polished 1950s housewife ideal, translated into shapes and details that are a nod to objectification, erotic stereotypes, and over-decoration, both literally and abstractly.
I am drawn to moments of awkwardness and friction, when something doesn’t quite sit right, and the in-between gestures that expose how much we’re trying and pretending.
