THE EDITORIAL’S FAVORITE CAPTURES A BLOOMING DESIRE

For centuries, freedom wasn’t a word that females were familiar with. Founding themselves oppressed in much of all situations of their daily-lives — specially those connected with their own body,rights and sexual relations — their expression were scolded; their desires ignored and their freedom absolutely forbidden.

In the historical context,medieval misogyny is probably one of the most outstanding biases, since contempt and hatred towards women were cultivated by the church and the aristocracy.

Since for the first clerics females were seen as the “gateway of the devil” while expressing their sexual preferences, their choices were null — sex and their lives were only for reproduction,not at all for pleasure and to simply personal enjoyment. With years passing, and thankfully,also their regressive conceptions, movements such as feminism started to reduce the disdain towards women,while bringing thematics such as gender equality and sexual rights. Eventually, what was first a taboo became what we know now as the feminine sexuality, that englobes the autonomy and the exploration of the exclusive human term that collides pleasure, emotion, affectivity and communication. Given the fact that ,historically, sexuality has always been studied from the male point of view, the concepts would result from their perspective,however, now there are more and more female professionals working in main positions. The increase of women in those roles has made female sexuality more common and accessible for women around the world, finally in our lens; in our terms; with our own concept . Even though some situations might have improved, others unfortunately stay the same. In many countries and cultures, women remain not allowed to express their sexuality and any opinion whatsoever by men and the society, that only keeps ignoring and encouraging the injustice.

Even when injustice is around, art is there to give voice to the voiceless and for that, its importance goes far beyond entertainment, but also serves as a powerful way of expressing yourself, your desires, opinions, affects and disaffections. Just as any form of protest, the world-famous urban artist Bansky displays social,political,economical and cultural relevant issues. On this year’s valentine’s day the artist created a work illustrating a cliché 1950s housewife as a victim of domestic violence fighting back her abuser, which after so many cases of women reporting domestic abuse since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic makes complete sense. In the same way of any type of art, fashion as an expressive mechanism of communication that can depict many issues wouldn’t be out to support the necessary evolution that the world needs towards the treatment of women and their desires.

While for some making short clothes is enough, for others gardening their runway is the solution. Apparently, anthuriums aren’t only an amusing decoration to your yard; seen either in the full sexy world of Ludovic di Saint Sernin or in the alternative designs of Jonathan Anderson for Loewe, the highlight of the sexual expression in the fashion world was done through the usage of the erotic bold perfume that anthurium embroidered flowers can cause — with a smell so strong that it demonstrated not leaving the fashion room very soon.

After the flamingo’s flower dominated runway shows and their presented collections communicating about females and their own desires, it was time for the editorial world to be controlled by it, being fixed by it while adhering to a great number of photoshoots seen. Regardless of the number of publications embracing the flower of the moment, the designs embraced are mostly the ones by Jonathan Anderson at Loewe,and suddenly, the fashion audience saw themselves in a world where all the magazines that they accompany were hypnotized by Anderson’s anthurium perfume.

As the ontological dilemma of fashion says, simplicity is in charge. With this singular flower wielding so much power, a whole fashion movement was seen dependent on an unique natural item. Accessories to your hair in the shape of anthuriums were a byproduct of the phenomenon, paired with the celebrities favorite neck corsages from Ludovic de Saint Sernin, seen either in the influencer Kendall Jenner and the actress Bruna Marquezine.Also, the flower bag charms and earrings from the own disseminator of the trend were well-liked and adhered to Loewe’s campaigns starring their chosen muse Taylor Russel. As the public and the designer itself found themselves obsessed with the flower, its impact on the fashion industry was settled from the beginning — obsession was predestined, drawn by gods,universe or whatever supreme entity you might believe. Meanwhile the result of such faithful impact can be studied by psychology and experts, analyzing the originator and his inspirations are a way easier path of discovery why everyone opened their anthurium shaped hearts and turned them vulnerable to it.

When asked backstage about the flower presence,firstly, the creative director of Loewe shared his passion for things that are real but seem fake, and that being so, the flower chosen was exactly like that — by touching,experiencing and getting to know, the extreme realness we often don’t see in the world can be felt, however, if just analyzing by our eyes things look fake like the majority of occurrences nowadays. However, after Anderson also mentioned the dangerousness of the poison of erect phallus, which completely corroborates what was firstly illustrated at the beginning. Opening his anthurium shaped heart, Loewe’s head in charge shared that this poison is aligned to the women fancying themselves more dangerous than dainty while wearing his anthuriums pieces. Usually, fairy tales and society in general teach us that flowers are a symbol of delicateness,purity and fragility,but Loewe’s story brought one way better concept; a bolder one. The flower would be solely bold. Just daring to see and wear, poisonous in the right amount, but empowering in a way so significant that it becomes shocking, and more expressive even. Voilà. It was little to no time until magazines felt touched by such an uniquely distinct concept,embracing Loewe's anthurium trending pieces in their photoshoots with mainly female celebrities.

The magazine adherence started thanks to Dazed… and Taylor Russell,obviously. With this industry’s phenomenon being irresistibly embraced in the star of «bones and all» photoshoot at Winter 2022 Beauty Issue as a true living flower — either by making a blooming moment , or for the «American Beauty» laying with roses scene, but instead of roses, Dazed chose Anderson’s popular anthuriums to bring the courageously erotism — the rise of such a sensual flower was accepted and signed by the ones participating in Dazed’s project.

And,there was little time on the way until other publications decided to sign that too. With the model Kaia Gerber continuing this fashion widespread at i-d Spring cover — because, apparently, yes floral for spring, Miranda Priestly are still a thing —, the movement was kept up with the supermodel Mona Tougaard at wmag February issue photographed by the brilliant Rafael Pavarotti and styled by the talented Katie Grand.

After the diffusion of the flower by some of the most popular magazines joining the treaty of anthuriums, Elle Usa decided to get in the famous trendy alliance by making the actress Jenna Ortega as the star of the April 2023 issue — which,curiously,one of her looks was with the so-adored Loewe’s anthurium white dress.Elle Usa wasn’t the last to go — Marie Claire China kept the phenomenon with an artistic editorial featuring He Cong as some of the most famous paintings. When recreating Frida Kahlo’s portrait, an anthurium in her black garment was added, which aligned with Kahlo’s feminist achievements and brokerage of boundaries is highly suggestive.

Changing the view of how magazines are portraying the anthurium in their issues, Vogue Australia took another path — May Issue would feature Adut Akech in a Loewe white gown with a black bow and her brother Bior wearing the anthurium blouse and white pants.

What was first seen in just women, became also something directed to men, calling out that even they have the moral duty of speaking in defense of equality. With the magazines becoming simply Anderson’s secret garden, for a little while other areas wouldn’t have their anthurium seeds prevailed — afterall,apparently, causality is also in love with eccentricity, and its union results in anthurium, of course. Not being just a editorial chosen, but also a regularly wearable one, Zendaya in her bathroom, Emily Ratajkowski attending the Loewe’s show FW2023, Adwoa Aboah at the Vanity Fair Oscar party and Dakota Fanning at Hollywood Reporter Stylists Dinner were events and other moments where the specific flower was highly noticed. Paired with usual actions of celebrities daily basis, runways and editorials, Jonathan Anderson’s anthuriums designs also became the ultra-defended of the own brand that chose to make the flower twisted sandals one of the stars of the campaign of Loewe shoes — however, the shaped by nature ended by being also the main star as a home decor due to its fetish attitude and sharpen femininity too.

Even though faith doesn’t fail, doubt is always present — why anthuriums,anyway?

As the clear symbolism of the exotic plant being the purest form of feminine sexuality, publications — often directed to a female audience — would explore that in their reports. While getting in touch with the meaning behind anthuriums, the adherence of Loewe’s pieces increase the relevance of discussion on still fighting for women rights and their expressions,paired with sexual desires. In view of the fact that there has been a considerable evolution, there is still a lot more to be improved. Muslim women being murdered for not wearing ‘correctly’ hijabs , American women losing the right of having the authority of their own bodies, these are only some of the result of such enormous impact of ignorance and injustice that is spread by misogyny. In case magazines, public figures, designers, creators and society in general don’t keep advocating in the name of gender equality, chances of a regression in society is inevitable.

It’s not aleatory that, recently, publications directed to mainly a female audience are emerging their platforms — the necessity to engage in the defense of freedom is seen in interviews, op-ed pieces, articles and now more frequent editorials,that make the criticism accessible in a non-verbal way. It’s there way of saying, we are together in the defense of women’s rights and freedom. It’s there way of showing their values, and giving visibilty for the ones that haven’t been able to be seen.

With photographers and editors collaborating while taking advantage of the cry for freedom done by designers, the emancipating power is spread, paired with self-enlightenment of female about their carnal expression, that according to the women’s activist writer Audre Lorde, often don't consider the erotic as a source of power and information as shared to the feminist magazine Lissbeth. Just as the female sexuality, anthuriums are owners of a powerful factor that makes us celebrate the lavishness, in the case of the first, of femininity. And, the second,meanwhile for some the scent, for everyone, women.