When I first saw Julia Fox’s latest outfit, I did not like it — a hairy breast and sewn-shut vagina are a lot to take in at 8:16 in the morning. It felt contrived and unnecessarily gory, but I was missing the point.
Julia Fox is no longer your run-of-the-mill fashion provocateur, showing nudity for nudity’s sake. Her style has transcended beyond aesthetics, or even self-expression, to become something that’s more akin to performance art. It’s not meant to be fashionable, it’s not meant to be functional, and it’s surely not meant to be sexy. It’s an act of protest.
Last week, for example, she wore an ensemble covered in grooming tools, seemingly as a commentary on beauty standards. And yesterday, she wore a bra and panties both printed with hairy, hyper-realist images of a vulva and breasts — the labia sewn shut and stamped with the word “closed.”
At first glance, all you see is the nakedness, the hair, and the gore of mutilated genitals. But once you get past the shock-factor, the symbolism becomes more apparent. In February, Fox told Elle she’s actively choosing not to date, or even interact with men, because “knowingly engaging in a heterosexual relationship, you are signing yourself up for an unhealthy dynamic.” Her panties, though grotesque, offer a twisted play on a “closed for business” sign.
Fox’s outfit feels especially poignant, given the current political battle being fought over women’s bodies. Reproductive rights are being dismantled, making forced birth the law in many states. Under these laws, people with uteruses are little more than incubators (the reality of which, is far more horrific than her underpants). Whether intentionally or not, Fox’s look rejects that. Symbolically, it seems to say: “Women are not vending machines.”
“I feel like knowingly engaging in a heterosexual relationship, you are signing yourself up for an unhealthy dynamic.”
Though fashion has seemingly become her chosen medium, in the past, Fox has addressed human rights issues using other outlets. Elle reports that before she was a model and TV show host, Fox directed a short film about child sex trafficking that was never released.
This recent streak of outrageous ensembles seems to be a continuation of her desire to make an impact. Her outfits cause a stir, yes — but more importantly, they cause a conversation.
