Ties That Bind

BDSM practices are one of the main sources of inspiration in fashion, but will the diverse bodies of their communities ever be represented?

Watch my video about Shibari: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlP1y5NgvWA

Trends in fashion are most often influenced by the subcultures surrounding the exclusive confines of the industry, and designers’ infatuation with fetish wear is the one of the recent instances of when these communities, otherwise disregarded because of their nonconformity, become the latest subject to pick and choose from. Kate Moss famously stated ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ - and the fashion industry seems to have followed that statement to a T to when plucking key style elements from these subcultures and reworking them to fit its draconian ‘sample size’ standards. Some of the industry’s biggest names - such as Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Dilara Findikoglu, Rick Owens, and many more - have made BDSM attributes an integral part of their visual identity. Yet, the gaunt corseted bodies strapped in leather and tangled in laces are rarely representative of those actually engaging in these communities, and whose bodies often exist outside of these aesthetic bounds.

From left to right: Rick Owens SS25, Ludovic de Saint Sernin SS25, Dilara Findikoglu AW24

‘Not only pretty people have sex. Ugly people have sex too,’ bluntly states clinical sexologist and relationship therapist Sandro Mora-Zhunio. The harshness of the statement is uncomfortable at first. The idea of somebody is calling a body outright ‘ugly’ goes against what most would consider proper manners - but it is a reality of the duality of our society. Beauty and ugliness are concepts societally taught and acquired. Constructs. ‘A lot of people engaging in these practices often live in bigger bodies. They’re overweight. When they explore their kinks, they need to consider their safety differently than somebody who fits within the societal standards of what is considered beautiful,’ Mora-Zhunio continues. If what we see online and on social media seems to always converge to the opinion that the way our body looks is a choice, it isn’t entirely - especially when it comes to a woman’s. In conversation with Cindy Sherman for her recently released coffee table book, Simone Rocha masterfully addressed the topic by saying ‘People say that your weight is in your control, but it isn’t really. It’s hormonal, it’s emotional, and that’s so connected to clothes and identity’ - something the fashion industry has yet to grasp.

Perhaps little-known to those that those who don’t engage with those practices, the BDSM community is welcoming of bodies of all shapes and forms, and bondage especially is felt to be one of the most inclusive and empowering. The current definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term ‘bondage’ in its sexual context as a ‘sadomasochistic sexual practice involving the physical restraint of one partner’. However, not all forms of bondage stem from this sadomasochistic desire to inflict pain. For example, Shibari - the Japanese practice of erotic rope bondage - seeks the very intimate, at times tantric connection between to individuals. ‘Rope play, like with every kink, isn’t about the pleasure of genitals. It’s about psychological pleasure and liberation,’ says Mora-Zhunio. Whilst climax is one of the things that can be achieved through bondage, it can also be a powerful avenue for self-empowerment and positive body image.

Kate @vinegarpeach via @ropechubbies on Instagram

For Julia Leung, a Shibari amateur, the practice allowed her to improve her relationship with her own body. ‘I definitely struggled with body issues throughout my entire life,’ she confesses. ‘When you’re doing bondage though - especially rope bondage, there is really no way for you to hide any of your body. Even if you are clothed, because of the way the ropes interact with your body, you will have flesh spilling out over the ropes and things will be coming out.’ Arguably, when tight straps and rope-like strings of fabric become a tool to a designer’s creativity, the idea of anything spilling out might be their worst nightmare.

Despite feeling self-conscious at first, Leung’s focus quickly shifted from how her body looked to how it felt. ‘I realised how limiting that fear of how my body being perceived was,’ she continues. ‘It was preventing me from accessing the pleasure that I was supposed to be feeling.’ Kinks like rope play are an important tool to not only gain acceptance of oneself, but also to feel empowered and beautiful. In Leung’s opinion, the way women experience intercourse is more nuanced than for men. ‘I think that, as women, we derive more pleasure from an aesthetic form of sex,’ she argues.

Shibari artists like Marie Sauvage often toy with the notions of eroticism and beautification of the female form, presenting it not only as an object of lust and desire, but as an artistic entity to shape and mould. Most harnesses and traditional bondage gear are targeted at gay men, while Shibari and rope play allow for total adaptability to the intricacies of a woman’s body, even for those who might not fit the ideal pushed by fashion labels. As Sauvage weaves the rope around the curves of her subjects, she is not only seeking to enhance their sexual allure. The intricate knots and harnesses become garments of their own, adorning bodies rather than feeding into the male-centred, often degrading and misogynistic narrative conveyed in porn and other types of adult content.

Marie Sauvage and plus size model Aurélie Muller

Artists like Sauvage are crucial in demonstrating that the glamour sought by fashion designers can indeed work in pair with body diversity. In her collaborations with other creatives - whose practices are often far from those of the BDSM community - Sauvage dismantles the preconceptions and taboo around women’s sexual freedom, and invites her audience to reconsider the societal constructs around the female body. Though she might at times give in to that rough sexual fantasy - completely entangling herself in crimson rope in suggestive positions - Sauvage often displays an unexpected tenderness in the way she approaches her subjects. In one of her recent projects, the Shibari artist worked closely with a ballerina, the result being a mesmerising combination of grace and finesse, whether that be in how the satin ropes embraced the dancer’s silhouette, or their noticeable softness. Unsurprisingly so, her performances have sparked the interest of many - from decadent Venetian balls to up-and-coming art galleries, Sauvage’s art has even made it to the cover of Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book. However, the editorial proved to be disappointingly unrepresentative of her usual practice and its overarching ethos by solely featuring lanky models, further emphasising fashion’s consistent refusal to showcase a diverse range of bodies. Doing so is only perpetuating the disconnect between the industry and the communities it draws inspiration from, and leads one to question the legitimacy of this appropriation.

CR Fashion Book Issue 25