Latest news with #bodycon
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hervé Léger's Bandage Dress Makes Viral Comeback: Is Gen Z Reinforcing Old Beauty Standards or Rewriting Them?
With its signature stretch and sculpted fit, the Hervé Léger bandage dress has made an unexpected return to the fashion spotlight in the past months. Gen Z's obsession with the look has sent online searches soaring, but with the trend's resurgence comes the question: Does this new wave of body-con dressing signal a return to restrictive ideals, or has the style become a statement of autonomy and inclusivity? Searches for 'Hervé Léger dress' have increased by 1303 percent on Depop over the past three months, while searches for 'bandage dress' have risen 1280 percent on the platform during the same period. In the past year, the e-commerce company reported a 58 percent increase in interest in 'body-con' silhouettes. On Google, searches for 'bandage dress' also reached a new peak in the first week of June. More from WWD What's in the Bag? See-through Handbags Could Be the 'It' Bag of Summer 2025 Laneige Taps Baskin-Robbins for Rainbow Sherbet Lip Sleeping Mask Inspired by Sydney Sweeney Kim Kardashian Revives Old Hollywood Glamour With Side-part Bob at Balenciaga's Fall 2025 Couture Show The formfitting dress, created by designer Hervé Léger, was considered the uniform of '90s models. The silhouette, first made of dozens of elasticated bandage-style strips of knitted cloth, debuted on Léger's fall 1992 ready-to-wear collection and became an immediate sensation, WWD reported. By the early 2000s, the dress had become a staple in celebrities' wardrobes, seen on Kim Kardashian to Rihanna. With its popularity also came the controversy. Due to its body-hugging appeal, the bandage dress was often seen as flattering only on certain body types — typically slim, toned figures, which reinforced narrow beauty standards. With the rise of body positivity and inclusivity trends in the 2010s, the style lost its trendy status. In 2025, the bandage dress is experiencing a resurgence alongside the rise of a new skinny culture, fueled by the popularity of Ozempic and similar GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, as well as social media trends such as SkinnyTok — a diet culture that is widespread on TikTok. For fashion psychologist Jennifer Heinen, the bandage dress revival can be both a reinforcement of traditional beauty standards and a subversion of them. It all depends on 'who's wearing it — and why,' she said. 'The dress still carries traces of a past that celebrated thin, toned bodies as the ideal. But Gen Z is remixing that. We're seeing curvier bodies, nonbinary wearers, and size-inclusive reimaginings of the silhouette. The intention has shifted,' Heiner told WWD. 'Gen Z's version of the bandage dress isn't about aesthetic obedience. It's a visual paradox: compression that doesn't conform, sexiness without apology. When styled with visible softness — fuller bodies, body hair, flat shoes — it becomes a disruption, not a reinforcement.' Embracing something that was once controversial can also be an act of rebellion, Heiner said. According to her, another reason that can explain the bandage dress renaissance, besides Gen Z's obsession with Y2K trends, could also be the need for containment. 'The bandage dress is a literal and symbolic form of containment: it holds, hugs, grounds. In a world that feels chaotic, that tactile pressure can be soothing,' she said. 'In fashion psychology, we call this 'sensory anchoring,' the way tactile pressure can ground a person emotionally, much like a weighted blanket. Gen Z is craving emotional texture in what they wear. Not just aesthetics, but sensation.' Hervé Léger has utilized TikTok to connect with its newfound audience, garnering thousands of views with videos showcasing different bandage dress styles. The brand reinterpreted the viral silhouette for its 2025 and 2026 resort collections. Michelle Ochs, the creative director of Hervé Léger, has been vocal about Gen Z's love for the once-controversial silhouette on social media. 'Bandage dress is back in a big way,' Ochs told Bspoketv on Instagram. 'I'm so excited. I think there's a lot of nostalgia tied to it. I think there are new people discovering it. It's timeless. And we're ready to get dressed and get out,' she said. Just as it happened in the 2000s, celebrities are now also embracing the silhouette, with Hailey Bieber, Kaia Gerber and Alix Earle leading the pack. 'The key is conscious styling; choosing how you participate in the trend, not letting the trend dictate your worth. The bandage dress was used to compress. Now it can empower, but only if the choice is yours,' Heiner said. View Gallery Launch Gallery: Hervé Léger's Bandage Dress: Through the Years on Runways & Red Carpets [PHOTOS] Best of WWD 23 of the World's Most Expensive Handbags: Jane Birkin's Original Hermès Bag, Chanel's Crocodile Skin Flap Bag and More Brands With the Power of the Purse 'Project Runway' Winners: Where Are They Now? Superfake Rolexes Are Getting Smarter: How to Spot Counterfeit Timepieces in the Luxury Watch Market


Vogue
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Marine Serre Spring 2026 Menswear Collection
Iconic is an overused word that, when deployed in fashion, mostly means nothing. Few designers alive can truly lay claim to it, and fewer still who run independent brands. Marine Serre is one of them. For spring the 33-year-old designer forwent a runway show for a presentation and cocktail event. 'This season we are not showing. We are building,' read the notes. There was plenty to build on. Sheer stretchy jersey dresses with a trompe l'oeil bra and knickers were designed so they could be thrown on without a second thought, even from the nude. Bang and done! 'I want the girl of Marine Serre not to have to worry about the styling,' she said. 'I don't like the sexiness to constrain you. When I feel the most sexy is when I can breathe and I can move.' The menswear pieces, though subtler in their sensuality, were also body-conscious, highlighting the breadth of the shoulders through the chest seams on denim jackets, or with trousers that hugged the thigh before flaring at the feet. 'The conversation between the body and the garment, this collection is of course a lot about that,' said Serre. Elsewhere was cotton imitating python leather, knitted and printed and extending through to men's shirts, bodycon dresses and pumps, complete with mini moons on the soles to negate any click-clacking ('I hate the women or men who make a noise when they walk in the room!') Sequins and flaming leather patches or tulip prints were spread across the chest and crotch on mesh, denim and leather. Plumetis (the sheer fabric with raised dots that you often see on hosiery) was also a big reference, which Serre transformed into a knitted dress, the dots becoming tiny moons. One more standout in a collection with many to choose from: the LBD in look 1 that had Serre's moon crescent embedded in wire at the sternum. The designer said she imagined the wearer getting a crescent-shaped sun tan on her chest next summer. How's that for branding? There were also nods to Serre's background as a tennis prodigy in the navy tennis dresses, plus some necessary whimsy in the boy scout-inspired looks and shirts complete with foulards, decorated with vintage iron-on patches that will make each piece a one-off. In tune with Serre's continued commitment to sustainability, many of the fabrics in the collection were upcycled or repurposed from deadstock, like the silk scarves (one of the brand's staples) that were turned into a djellaba dress, or a floral shirt made from old polyester, given new life by shrinking it into thousands of pleats. 'Most of the time there is no need for more garments, so I try to use what we already have,' she said. Now with 75 staff according to Serre, the eight-year-old brand is a force to be reckoned with. Maintaining relevance in an environment that prizes the new and chews up and spits out the next big thing (that Serre herself was, when she became the youngest designer to win the LVMH Prize back in 2017) can feel near impossible, but Serre has an easy assurance that makes you believe in her future. 'It's about endurance,' she shrugged. 'As a designer I love vintage pieces, I love to study where the garments come from and I think that's how you can renew yourself and make your garments iconic, because at the end that's what I want.' Gesturing to one of the jewelry tableaus framed on black moire at the exhibition entrance, where a new range of gold and silver Creole hoops were hanging, she said: 'I never did the Creole before, so I said 'Okay, let me do one more iconic piece.'' As if it were easy! Her trademark crescent on the hoop, big and bold, will no doubt be another hit. Tout suite—iconique.


Vogue
04-06-2025
- Business
- Vogue
Hervé Léger Resort 2026 Collection
The word of the season for Hervé Léger's Michelle Ochs: allure. And her motto? 'Give her a reason to shop.' Ochs and her fellow designers have the Herculean task of inspiring a consumer that, as has been widely reported by industry trades, is becoming less interested in engaging with the luxury market. But she seems to be taking the new status quo in stride, you could say she's actually having some fun imbuing novelty into this decades-old label. (Hervé Legér turns 40 this year.) Resort, which covers the holiday season, is crucial for a label like Léger with a proven track record in event dressing. Ochs reports that they've 'gained traction' with the introduction of woven styles as complements to the brand's famous bodycon knits. Her loosening of other silhouettes has also helped her push things forward. There were other novelties, too. A venture into the Léger archives inspired the return of a basketweave technique; Ochs has placed it under the bust for an elegant and flattering effect. Another archive find is the stretch lace that Ochs used on slimming frocks. Also fun—and a good reason to shop—are a spray metallic ombré treatment Ochs has developed to imitate the brand's signature bandage effect without the actual layering, and a grommet-like foiling on a few separates that reads like both the actual hardware and a cooler version of a polka dot. Ochs has also been working on introducing leather, as on a sexy midi-length red slip, and on playing up transparency with mesh inserts. She's even venturing into tailoring. These have all been welcome introductions, which she reports her customer has been receptive to. Yet most impactful is what she's done to the bandage dress itself. Making it sometimes longer and occasionally looser, angling it or deconstructing it, she's embraced the icon without letting it dictate too much of her output. 'People are loving the variation in lengths we've been giving,' said Ochs. 'We're educating her that it's not just tight mini dresses!'


The Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The bodycon is back – but how on earth do you wear it? Subtle design add-ons mean this time it's for everyone
HOLD on to your Spanx - the bodycon is back. After going into fashion Room 101, the frock that defined the noughties is fighting its way back - and this time it's creeping into the wardrobes of the over 50s. 8 8 8 Victoria Beckham, 51, has worn one on the red carpet while Sarah Jessica Parker, 60, is wearing a bejewelled blue number in the new series of And Just Like That which airs at the beginning of May. Both of them look incredible. Sarah Jessica Parker 's crepe midi by Alex Perry has been referred to by Vogue as this decade's version of the iconic 'Carrie dress' which was a grey body-hugging mini worn by Carrie Bradshaw in the original Sex and the City series. Only this time round the figure-flattering number has all the elements to make it a win for women of a certain age: long sleeves, check; embellishment to detract the eye, check; boxy shoulders to balance out the waist, check; knee length, check. Of course, SJP could wear a paper bag, but this version of the bodycon could flatter anyone. This was not the case for the original bodycon - the Herve Leger bandage dress. The word bodycon is a shortened version of body-conscious - something that 90 per cent of us would feel if we poured ourselves into a figure hugging frock. And you couldn't get more clingy than the original Herve Leger bandage dress. It was made from elastic strips of fabric sewn together to make a skintight aesthetic. It was originally worn by the supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Eva Herzigova and by the noughties it had become a status symbol - the only dress celebs wouldn't mind being seen in twice or even caught matching someone else. From Rihanna to Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham in her silver and purple style - the dress defined an era. Retailing from £400 to £1,400 there were of course dupes lining the rails of Topshop and Miss Selfridge which took the sheen off the designer brand. Molly-Mae fans as she goes braless in tight-fit bodycon dress after Tommy Fury split And by the end of the decade - as we all realised we quite liked breathing - the pandemonium had died down and we exhaled into looser, more comfortable silhouettes. That was nice while it lasted but let's be honest, a giant tent dress while certainly making a statement doesn't have the same wow factor as a curve-clinger like the bodycon. Now, like with all things in fashion, we've come full circle. Last year, Kaia Gerber - daughter of Cindy Crawford - wore a white-hot Herve Leger bodycon, almost identical to the one her mother wore to the 1993 Academy Awards. It had a sweetheart neckline and underwire cups. And a quick search on Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing reveals Herve Leger dupes for around £52 for those brave enough to relive their noughties heyday. That particular style is not for the faint of heart - my bandage dress days are well and truly over - but the high street is championing bodycons with a twist this season. The likes of River Island, Next and M&S are offering tweaks on the original style that make the look more wearable for every woman, regardless of shape, size or age. Think ruching around the tum, hips or waist to enhance your shape - like Victoria Beckham's steel blue version - or flattering prints, loose and light overlays, knots and shirring. These subtle design add-ons made the 2025 bodycon something we can all get on board with. BODYCON FOR EVERYONE… RUCHING Just last week, Posh wore her own design to a launch in Dubai. Her take on the trend is to wear a dress that looks like Lycra but is more likely to be 90 per cent polyester and 10 per cent spandex (as some of her currently available dresses are). This hugs the body's shape but allows you to breathe. The dress then has strategically placed ruching in the fabric to flatter and enhance her natural shape. And it's not all over tight - with a little room for manoeuvre in the skirt created by folds in the ruching creating a gathered effect. This is also slimming. Take a leaf out of Posh's book with a green floral dress from New Look, £35.99. PRINTS Marks & Spencer know what they're doing when it comes to figure flattering fits and this strapless polka dot dress, £35, ticks two body-con boxes. Not only does it have the ruching that covers a multitude of sins but the eye-catching, polka dot print is brilliant for disguising anything you don't want to draw attention to. With a straight silhouette its body-con without being tight, plus it has a light mesh overlay which gives the illusion of the dress being loose. Plus, spots are bang on trend. PLEATS 8 Pleats are a perennial trend that never fades - and TU at Sainsbury's has this hybrid body-con wrap dress which is ideal for anyone a little conscious of their stomach. At £22 it's made from plisse which is a pleated texture created by applying a solution that shrinks part of the fabric. The vertical lines and pencil shape are slimming and the knot at the smallest part of the waist draws the eye's attention there, creating the perfect hourglass shape. It's also an ultra comfortable material. SHIRRING Similar to the plisse texture, shirring does a similar job - and is very popular on the high street this season. Despite its tightly stitched together look, shirring is hugely comfortable as it has elastic running through each panel so you can breathe and look good without the need for a tiered, tent-like dress. Next's £30 mini dress available in pastel blue, green and floral, with short sleeves and frilled hem contours the body whilst the rows of shirring conceal everything beneath the dress. Which means not only is it flattering but there's no VPL so wear your comfiest briefs without fear of them being glaringly obvious.