SOCI 403: Gender and Media
​Lexi Hilderman
UCID 10187876
Gender Binary, Sexual Orientation, & Advertising
Versace 2021 Campaign
In analyzing Versace’s 2021 campaign, images were taken from their Flash, Spring/Summer, and Fall/Winter campaigns. Compositions tended to vary depending on the season but maintain cohesion between campaigns. The summer/spring images often depicted one figure per image on a grey background paired with bright-coloured clothing. Conversely, the flash campaign images used a composition of one figure portrayed in various positions.
Relative size between single figure images was not significant, as figures took up the majority of the camera frame so as to focus on details in the apparel. However, in images with two or more figures, dynamics between male and female figures were noted as having a hierarchy in height, size of figures, as well as placement in either the foreground or background (Goffman, 1985: 28); female figures were often portrayed slightly behind male figures and were comparable in height and size. With this reduction in size, the feminine form is made to take up less space, leaving more for the masculine to claim ownership, both physically and symbolically (Hoskin, 2020 :2327)
Feminine touch was heavily employed across Versace’s campaign images. At the bare minimum, female figures almost always had their hands in the image in intentional ways from holding objects, caressing clothing, or gesturing in their posture or movements (Goffman, 1985: 29). Male figures' hands were often shown as free and hanging at their sides or in their pockets. With this, the idea of touch and hand positioning are shown as essential mechanisms used within the images, especially when portraying female figures. The specific focus on the hands seemed to emphasize the position of the figure and aesthetic of the female form through the holding of objects, hair, or simply self-touch for a sense of delicacy and preciousness (i.e., towards both the object and the female form) (Goffman, 1985: 31). Additionally, when considering an image with both a male and female figure in correlation with one another, the female hand was portrayed as soft on the shoulders of the male, whereas the male’s hands were shown enveloping her, holding her steady (Goffman, 1985: 29).
In terms of function ranking, this category was of less notice as figures were often portrayed more or less for the display of Versace’s designs. The only notion towards function rank was in that of the specific attire worn by figures, such as male figures wearing formal attire and female figures in brighter casual or leisure attire. One significant piece within this was the portrayal of female figures in more leisurely wear, gesturing to male executive roles and the assumption of women’s necessity for aesthetic (Goffman, 1985: 32).
In terms of the ritualization of subordination, Versace employed this most avidly through images with two figures, whether two male, two female, or a male and female pairing. Male figures were often depicted as steadfast in their positions and often portrayed in formal attire, this was often exemplified through an unwavering and directly centred front image giving a sense of power and preparedness (Goffman, 1985: 34).
Conversely, female figures were portrayed in motion or seated, lowering themselves physically and giving a sense of defencelessness (Goffman, 1985: 41). Additionally, female figures often showed more contortion of the body through that of a knee bend, staggered stance, or by standing on one foot (Goffman, 1985: 45). This also gave notice to the precarity of the female form in their readiness for social situations, as opposed to male figures who appear steady in their stances and prepared for anything.
Interestingly, this idea of subordination was also noticed between male figures, often placing hyper-masculine figures in the most active positions, demonstrating their strength and engagement, as opposed to male figures who were smaller or less masculine – motioning to the devaluation of femininity based on weakness as a key characteristic (Hoskin, 2020: 2320). This is important to note that Versace’s male figures are often those of the hyper-masculine type, portraying fit bodies and height, as a stark contrast to more feminine figures.
When it came to licensed withdrawal, the gaze of each individual actor was equal between male and female figures. Most figures within the images showed a steady expression, confronting the audience. The only images that deviated from this, was in the images taken from Versace’s 2021 Flash campaign, in which both male and female figures averted their gaze as part of the positions and movements they were displaying. Additionally, when two or more figures were portrayed in one single image, at least one figure’s gaze was averted away from the other’s; whether that was done more so by male or female figures was not noticeable (Goffman, 1985: 62). Overall, when gazes were averted, figures appeared distracted by an object or figure outside of the frame.
Body display was also something of special notice in Versace’s images. Both male and female figures were represented with some extent of nudity; male figures were often represented shirtless or with their clothing unbuttoned, and female figures were often shown wearing revealing clothing and undergarments showing through (Kang, 1997:984). Additionally, female figures often wore form-fitting clothing with their midriffs or shoulders showing, giving a sense of reveal or sensuality in the female form. The apparent difference between bodily displays of male figures in comparison to female figures was in that of displaying the hyper-masculine forms shown in their muscular and strong or dominating tone.
This was compared to the fragility of the female form both represented by women as well as feminine males portrayed in images. The female form often wore tight clothing or short skirts to reveal slender legs and pared with the position of being in motion as if to be blown around by the wind (Kang, 1997: 985). Another key feature was that of Versace’s use of the ‘wet look’. Various images showed female figures with what looked to be wet hair and clothing, creating transparency in the fabrics to reveal the female form beneath. By revealing the female form, it makes it accessible to the male gaze; within this, the gender identification of being female positions the individual into a heterosexual relationship of subordination to men (Butler, 2004: 54).
In terms of the overall independence of images, Versace’s campaigns seemed to play avidly off the colour and composition of their figures, as well as highlighted the bodies of its figures as they pertained to their brand’s apparel. It gave a sensation of identity in the uniqueness of its colours and styles but also played into various narratives of masculinity and femininity, showing the power of the male form in contrast to the fragility and weakness of the female form (Hoskin, 2020: 2326). This brand highlighted the presence of hegemonic masculinity and with that its idealized form, subordinating other masculinities by their characterization of feminine qualities; all other forms of masculinity and femininity are positioned as a deviation from the ideal form of masculinity (Hoskin, 2020: 2321).
