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ISSUE ONE WELCOME TO IT’S NOT ME IT’S YOU. THIS MAGAZINE HAS BEEN CREATED OUT OF A DESIRE TO BE UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT WHO YOU ARE. WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL, THOSE WHO DON’T FEEL REPRESENTED BY THE MASS AND ARE FINDING THEIR VOICE. IN THIS ISSUE WE WILL DISSCUSS THE FASHION INDUSTRY IN RELATION TO ASEXUALITY, ON WHETHER IT IS REPRESENTED AND HOW ASEXUALS FEEL ABOUT THIS.
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WORDS BY KATE CASWELL Fashion has become one of the most sexually driven industries worldwide, with sex being used to sell anything from fragrance to bags. How do you relate to an industry which holds the concept of ‘sex sells’ so highly, when you don’t experience sexual attraction? It only takes a glance through any number of fashion magazine to see provocative images of models in compromising positions, nothing surprising to most people. Many industries have used this as a selling mechanism for years, from the 1960’s ‘In-sink-erator’ which claims women will thank you ‘Three times a day’ for buying the product, to the more recent Tom Ford fragrance campaigns in 2007 with bottles places between a women’s legs and breast. Clearly just advertising the product! To an extent this way of marketing works, it gets us all talking and for some may even makes the product desirable. This idea has shifted further in recent years with Calvin Klein Jeans using Tinder as a platform, J.W.Anderson’s Fall 2016 Menswear show exclusively being shown on Grindr and even the use of PornHub to platform Diesel’s Spring intimates campaign. Refreshing as this is, are the designers limiting their market somewhat, with Pornhub’s annual report 2015 showing its users to be 76 percent male. J.W Anderson doesn’t think so, telling New York Times “We’re all humans, so we all have to be somewhat sexually attractive to someone. That’s the name of the game, with clothing.” But this type of marketing strategy taken by fashion brands fails to cater for the 1% who aren’t sexually attracted to anyone; the sexual minority, asexuals. Asexuality is a term which for many may be unheard of, for the simple fact that it isn’t often spoken about, let alone people being educated about what it is. But it is only 1% of the population, no big deal right? Well, to put the number roughly into context, that’s about the same number as redheads worldwide! Asexuality is not a new term and has been publicized since the 1948’s Kinsey report which explored the level of someone’s sexuality on a scale of zero to seven (zero being heterosexual
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and then a level of bisexuality through to seven representing homosexuality). Asexuality sat on its own as “X” and that was pretty much all the research asexuality received for 50 years. Back to present day many asexuals turn to online communities such as AVEN (asexuality visibility and education network) or Tumblr for the support and information needed. However, the constant push of a sex driven world can be deeply damaging for many asexuals causing them to be accused of not existing or the romanised view of them being broken. In an interview with George Norman a Master’s student at York University, he expressed his belief from his own research and experience as an asexual that ‘[asexuals] should have a better representation, we should be recognized and have validated existence’. YouTuber Alice Mitchell (OnlyAliceMitchell) supports this view ‘the media has such power in todays world, asexuality should be explored, it would help educate the world on what asexuality is and eliminate stigma surrounding the term’. But why then does it matter to fashion? Well, George believes ‘Fashion can shape the culture that surrounds sexuality’. Fellow asexual student from York University Sophie Jorgensen-Rideout agrees saying ‘showing a diverse range of relationships is so important and perhaps this will unintentionally influence the direction of fashion’. Over the years fashion has helped to shape the way we view gay men, drag and transgender people. The rise in transgender models, such as Andreja Pejic has been a turning point in the acceptance of the
fluidity of gender. Fashion can be a powerful social platform to influence the majority view, surely now its time to look at the last of the sexual minority which society has forgotten? In 2012 leading contempary scientist into asexual, Dr Bogaert compared the discrimination asexuals receive to be ‘parallel to the discrimination which gays and lesbians went through at the dawn of the gay rights movement in the 1970’s’. Supporting this, a 2012 study published by Group Processes and Intergroup Relations reports ‘more prejudice, dehumanization and discrimination towards
asexuals than any other sexual minority.’ The idea of sex sells isn’t followed by all brands, such as COS who focus more on the shape and artistry of the garments as demonstrated in their 2016 collection with Agnes Martin. Their capsule menswear collection with Mr Porter, looks beyond glamourized sexualisation, instead focusing on the everyman and the way clothing makes the individual feel. Saying themselves they ‘are made to last beyond the season’ and beyond the marketing ploy of sexualisation. The same cannot be said for the generalized fashion advertising, which seeks to constantly shock
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its audience with sexualised scandal. This having especially rocketed in the last 20 years. Not only are asexuals suffering as a result of hypersexualised advertising, gaps in the market are being created for anyone over 30, as well as the disabled. Whom society believes should not be viewed sexually. When was the last time you saw any of these people being represented in a sexually empowering way through mass media? York student Sophie believes for this to change, there needs to be a move in direction with more ‘clothing companies run by women and LGBTQ people’. If ‘Sex Sells’ then why is it not selling to everyone? If you don’t fit this ideal presented, then your left out in the cold. Should this be an end to any sexual campaigns being used? No it shouldn’t be, but it would be refreshing to see more diversity. As journalist Kim Winser says for Forbes ‘we have to move in the opposite direction’, to see some models with clothes on and not being degraded to simply being a sexual object. Of course sexual liberation is key, it can be empowering to some, however there should be the same level of empowerment given to asexuals. A call to action for fashion brands to cater to more than just the patriarchal ideal of what is classed as sexually appealing is needed. Sexuality will always impact fashion and that is a good thing but it’s about all types of sexuality being represented. For fashion to be brought up to date and be the all-inclusive, empowering art form it should be.
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this issue has taken 38 cups of coffee 14 cans of diet coke 11 packs of biscuits 40 pieces of paper 13 proof reads 14 emails 70 minutes of calls 8 mental breakdowns 4 sleepless nights