I noticed something this morning while flipping dutifully through the first 9,000 pages of this month’s Elle. Typically, I turn page after page, glancing at the advertisements for high-end luxury lines quickly, as I don’t care for much more than the photography – it’s unrealistic for me to dream up reasons to covet a $5,000 gown.

This time, however, in my morning stupor – peppermint mocha and cigarette in hand – I sat on my porch and let the wind whip the pages by as I sat quietly (see again: stupor) admiring the filters and post-production used on the adverts. A gust blew me to a two-page ad for Fendi, an Italian fashion house, displaying their 2010 ad featuring the stunning Anja Rubik.

Absolutely stunning, right? The colors are amazing, and the lines are beautiful… I stared at her strange pose and the intricate disheveling of her dress for a good 10 minutes before I decided to reach out and turn my own page, for a change. As I pulled the page by, I stopped to notice the production assistant in the lower left hand corner of the ad.

How could they let this run? He’s clearly manipulating the scenery…

Then I collected my thoughts (and confusion) and realized… Nope! That guy is definitely supposed to be there. What value is this adding, again?, I asked myself. Shaking it off, I turned the page to view yet another double truck for major fashion house, Bottega Venetta featuring Anya Kasakova:

…and Sean O’Pry. The photography is by one of my favorites, Nan Goldin, who is actually not well known for fashion photography, but more for fine art. I love the Vermeer-esque potency of the image, and definitely see the draw onto the many “Venus/Olympia” references of Titian and Manet, which are fantastic… While this would excite me on a typical day, the previous ad’s tree-arranging man was still in the forefront of my mind, and I couldn’t help but ask… What the hell is he doing there?

Kate Moss for Just Cavalli

Subsequent page turning revealed this theme in nearly half of the full page and double truck ads I encountered: emotionally affected woman with an aloof, cathartic male somewhere in the background. Don’t get me wrong – I fully understand the idea of “selling a story” or “emoting the garment”, or what have you. I get the strategic placement of bags in juxtaposition with the mood of the image… But I can’t help but realize that these images and ads are selling a lot more than just the garment – they’re selling a promise: You, too, can be coveted. A man (big strong man) may look longingly at you as you recline in our clothes. He will follow you wherever you go just to get a glimpse of you.

Are these ads constructing a standard? Has the fashion industry discovered that if women feel coveted by a man, they’re more likely to purchase clothing from a brand with that promise?

Again, don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware of the billions of ad campaigns featuring empowered, independent women… But, to me, that only punctuates those that involve a dude salivating over a woman wearing a particular brand of clothing. While not particularly enraging, it is certainly curious…

What are your thoughts on the appearance of swooning/coveting males in fashion ads?

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3

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