fetish fashion

Fetishism is a term with a long and complicated history, encompassing religious, anthropological, economic, and sexual meanings. Karl Marx famously coined the term “commodity fetishism” to describe the way objects produced trough human labor acquired an exaggerated exchange value.

Today, fetishism is usually characterized as a type of variant sexuality, in which provocation is associated with a part of the body, such as hair, or an inanimate object, such as a shoe.

High heeled shoes, so called “kinky” boots, corsets, lingerie, and garments made of leather or rubber are among the most common clothing fetishes. Fetishism has been associated with particular sexual fantasies, with sadomasochism and transvestism.

The 1970's saw the spread of sexual liberation, women's liberation, and gay liberation, all movements that provided a context for the emergence of fetish fashion.

Leather is the material most often utilized in fetish fashion. Claude Montana was among the first to become known for fetish leather, to be followed in the 1990’s by Gianni Versace.

Designers such as Thierry Mugler and John Galliano for Dior have also incorporated other second skin materials, such as latex, into high fashion.

The “kinky” shoes and boots are the most important accessories in the wardrobe of fetish fashion. Fetish shoes typically feature extremely high heels and sometimes also high platforms and ankle straps that allude to bondage.