Fetiche




At the time when this blog was not fully devoted to menswear, I posted something entitled The armor of Daphne Guinness. And I quote: She has had made metal pieces for her fingers, hands, and an entire arm based on the armory of the Middle Ages. She has been seen several times wearing thick leather or metal belts that hug her trim figure like old girdles.

Maybe she felt safe with her accouterment, maybe it was her self-expression or defence.

Gilet de smoking en coton granulé et satin, Tom Ford; pantalon de smoking en drap de laine, De Fursac; masque en métal et bracelet de force en cuir et métal, Phylea

'Fetiche', Vogues Hommes International Paris, Printemps-été 2008




Of course, these implements can also serve to mask or change one's identity, to morph it into something else.

Masque museliére en cuir et métal, Rex; veste de smoking et chemise en popeline de coton, Lanvin




To reverse our internal defences and wear them as our armor.

Harnais cage en cuir et métal, Rex; chemise de smoking en popeline de coton, Yves Saint Laurent; veste en laine, Ralph Lauren; pantalon de smoking en drap de laine, De Fursca; bras articulé en métal, Phylea




To totally become somebody else: this has been an obsession since the very first Metamorphosis.

Tour de cou en métal, Phylea




The urge to remove what is human - to make it artficial or render it for an android - this fascination has been explored in many science fiction novels and films.

Veste col châle et pantalon de smoking en drap de laine, Hermès; chemise de smoking en popeline de coton, plastron plissé, Brooks Brothers; ceinture de smoking en soie plissée, Balenciaga par Nicolas Ghesquière; masque bondage en cuir et métal, Rex; fleur en satin, La Droguerie




But many times, like in Frankenstein, the inorganic gives free reign to the bestial.

Gilet de smoking en soie, Maison Martin Margiela; manchette en toile à beurre, Ann Demeulemeester; haut-de-forme en feutre, Lanvin; masque heaume en métal, Phylea




The best we can settle for is a temporary heightening of sensations and emotions in the short event that we pretend to be inhuman.

Veste et pantalon de smoking en satin, Dolce & Gabbana; chemise en popeline de coton, Roberto Cavalli; masque et tour de cou en métal, Phylea

Par Hedi Slimane, Réalisation: Carine Roitfeld

This post is part of a set in reply to a query by Nihaal Faizal from India on the topic of his sketches and on science fiction