Nudity in Fashion

I have bought scores and scores of fashion magazines without having so much as a thought about one mutual feature of most fashion magazines. I had no problem keeping magazines apart of my mental consciousness by carrying them around with me wherever I go. No matter which magazine I bough because of who was on the cover, the narrative of the writing, or even which kind of styling I disliked, I had no problem accepting a magazine like I accepted each feature about the people I choose to be around.

All of this, and still I had no problem accepting the nudity that came with the magazines as art. However, it was one day that I was flipping through my magazines and an external thought descended upon my conscious.

"Why do your magazines have so many naked people in it?"

This question could have been followed up with a simple answer, because of it's nature. However, I could not combat this. Having an esoteric passion for fashion, and an even more unique habit of investing in it, did not help the situation. I could not look to my left for a perspective. I looked around and I was asked the question by everyone around me who had also looked through my magazine collection. But I could not answer this question and it racks my brain even now, as I sometimes I have to question myself as to the quality of some magazines that feature nudity in its pages.

So even as I write this post, I am still asking myself: "Why does a magazine about clothes use nudity its pages?"

Well I recently, moments before this post, read a perspective about the subject of nudity concerning the nature of nudity in Purple Magazine. Olivier Zahm, whose name I like to say in my head as if I am saying "damn" in a very french way (sorry), gave Style.com his thoughts concerning this subject. I won't get into that, but I will highlight a reaction letter on Olivier's own Purple Magazine online relative: Purple Diary. Michel Hakimian gave what some might consider, and I feel is, a quite intellectual perspective on this subject.

To have higher moral concepts, including the protection of our independence and freedom, the acceptance of the power of love and sex, requires sophisticated thoughts and personal culture, which is not something that all of mankind has access to and there are many reasons for that: they are social, psychological, even political.

But what are these sophisticated thoughts? Well, If I were to define them on my own, it would be very simple. Displaying the human body in the context of a clothing ridden magazine, gives a clear vista for designing for the human body. Nudity gives you a chance to appreciate fashion for something other than aesthetic value. While nudity is typically synonymous for sex, perceiving it for different appreciations of fashion is almost vital to valid passion for fashion as a consumer. -At least for me.

Nudity is not  necessarily a vulgar subject when dealt with in fashion contexts, especially when it helps you to understand the creative process with more sophistication.

But what do you think?

Terminus.