Blumarine by Marc Jacobs: Fashion for Gen Z Angst or Teen Sex Workers?

 

Brooke Frischer posted on Fashionista that "Heaven [by Marc Jacobs] and Bluemarine Made the High School Movie Wardrobe of Your Dreams a Reality" (JUL 7, 2023). Frischer wrote that Heaven by Marc Jacobs and Bluemarine are "beloved by Gen-Z" and that the campaign was shot "[...] by Petra Collins to boot." Let's take a look at Blumarine by Marc Jacobs before recapping our posts on Jacobs and Collins.

To the dismay of orthodox Jews and Muslims, per Frischer, Blumarine by Marc Jacobs features 11 of the brands best-selling pieces, which boast the brands "signature touches". The best-selling signature pieces consist of ultra-mini skirts, and they mean ultra, lacy pink camisoles, baby tees, and they mean baby, and cropped sweatshirts - among other revealing pieces. 

Frischer related that Collins photographed the, seemingly, nymphet models at "the same high school the photographer used for Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U" music video". Why? It was done, strategically, to further: "[...] the appeal of the new collaboration for angsty teens and angsty-teens-at-heart everywhere." 

And I would imagine that only an angsty teen would wear a pink lace baby graphic tee (Teddy Bear) with an ultra-mini camo skirt to her high school English class. We say, it's giving 1970s Times Square (teen) prostitute vibes.

Of the graphic pieces, Frischer shared that Nicola Brognano, Blumarine's Creative Director, opined: "Each piece of the capsule is a gem and truly reflects today's spirit, balancing ease and coolness in the most feminine and lighthearted way." Feminine? Absolutely Lighthearted? Absolutely not. 

And Ava Nirui, the creative director of Heaven by Marc Jacobs, said in a statement. "[...] I think this collection makes total sense for both of us."

As for Jacobs and Collins, this is not the first time they've used the allure of nymphets for clout. For example, for Jacobs' Oh Lola fragrance campaign, Dakota Fanning, 17-years-old at the time, seductively held a large phallic bottle between of Oh Lola between her legs. Why? Jacobs said that he choose Fanning, because, "I knew she could be this contemporary Lolita, seductive yet sweet." 

And Kendall Jenner, 18-years-old at the time, walked in Jacobs' 2014 New York Fashion Week runway show - in a sheer top, which Claire Knebl of Teen Vogue wrote, unsurprisingly, had the "internet buzzing". 

And to sell her art (books), Collins' Discharge photography exhibit and book featured nymphets in, as the Village Voice described, "various intimate scenes" that addressed the "[...] angst of the female teenage experience [...]".

Petra Collins' DISCHARGE: "Intimate" [Semi] Nude Teens

I went to the Capricious gallery in New York's Chinatown to view 21-year-old Petra Collins' Discharge, which was Collins' first solo exhibit.

Per the Village Voice, Collins: "[...] addresses the insecurities and angst of the female teenage experience through her artworks [...] The photographs depict young women in various intimate scenes [...] many of the works deal aggressively with the physical changes of female adolescence."

According to the Capricious' website, Collins has been: "... creating provocative work that deals with female sexuality and teenagehood since the ready age of fifteen."
The gallery relates that Collins is:

• founder and curator of The Ardorous, an online art collective showcasing work by emerging female artists
• a staff photographer at Rookie, Tavi Gevinson’s magazine for teenage girls
• a casting director for Richard Kern [a photographer of nymphets]
• the writer and director of two films “The Crimson Crusade” and “Pussy Power” - two subversive shorts that focus on reclaiming female sexuality, and
• the curator of an all-female art show titled Gynolandscape

In addition to photographing nymphets, Collins:

• began giving lectures on art and female sexuality at educational and art institutions such as York University and The Art Gallery of Ontario
• was profiled by the New York Times as a cultural influencer
• has work that has been featured in publications like VICE, Oyster, Vogue Italia, GARAGE, and Purple
• was named one of Canada’s top 30 artists under 30 by Blouin Artinfo, and
• is currently working on a book of photography to be printed by Random House in 2015

The fact that the above institutions and personalities support and praise Collins' work is a testament to the extensive allure of nymphets. But her photography does blur the line between art and teen (softcore) pornography.

Discharge by Petra Collins