International Women's Day 2023 : How To Do "Girly"
‘Pink Bedroom’, Portia Munson, Museum of Sex, New York City 2023
ATTENTION BRANDS : It’s not the gendered stereotype you use – it’s how you use it!
Reality check - pink is just a colour. But don’t dictate or assume… let THEM decide.
Consumers are rejecting the rigidity and restraint of outdated gender roles. But far from turning their back on 'girliness' and stereotypical gender signifiers (most notably PINK), they're confidently and expressively reclaiming them - from the male gaze, culture and brands.
Millennial pink has given way to something a lot more lurid; girl bosses are taking a back seat to self-proclaimed Bimbo creators; we're about to hit peak 'barbiecore' with the launch of Greta Gerwig's movie; and Portia Munson's 'Pink Bedroom' installation at MoSex New York speaks to 90s ‘bad girls’ and Gen Z alike.
The struggle for gender equity goes on. And International Women's Day has never looked more 'feminine'.
More Food For Thought:
‘Meet the Self-Described ‘Bimbos’ of TikTok’, Sophie Haigney, The New York Times
‘The Politics of Barbiecore’, Amber Butchart, Art Review