Julia Fox has proven once again that she is the It-Girl to end all It-Girls -this time by wearing period blood as an accessory.
Long-reduced to ‘Kanye West’s ex-girlfriend’ in media mentions, the social media star, actress, model, and best-selling author is an artist in her own right. Her canvas? Her own image.
The 35-year-old wore the daring ensemble as a part of her new role as the face of Mienne, a ‘luxury house dedicated to desire’ that claims to ‘sell products dedicated to turning body care into a sacred ritual.’
The brand named Fox, Lola Leon (Madonna’s daughter), and Parris Goebel as its ‘muses,’ writing in their promo material that all three embody the ethos of the brand.
Worn by anyone else, Fox’s outfit – which features a head scarf, oversized sunglasses, a shirt that reads ‘ladies night,’ and panties stained at the crotch with what appears to be blood – would seem attention-grabbing and ridiculous.
On her, it’s a salient political statement on womanhood, desire, and the pain of beauty. Why? That’s the power of Julia Fox.
Her lack of self-consciousness, insistence on being sensual on her terms, and tendency to talk openly (whether on social media, to the press, or in her best-selling memoir) about her trials and tribulations, transforms any outfit she puts on into another point in an ongoing discourse she’s having with the world.
Speaking to Elle about her collaboration with the brand, Fox said: ‘With Mienne, the campaign was whatever [I] wanted it to be, and that was so cool. I could choose my photographer, outfits, products, and also take my own pictures. The principles that were present during the shoot were what sex should be. It was, “You can do this, or not.”
‘I wasn’t policed around or made to feel exploited in any way. Because of that, I really opened up, and had control and freedom over the direction of the brief. They’re the real deal, and it’s not bullshit, from behind the scenes to what they’re putting out into the world.’
While this might seem like what most celebrities would say to hawk a new product, chances are it will go a long way coming from Fox, who has a reputation for refusing to BS her fans.
A TikTok video of the event, showing Julia’s outfit, elicited supportive comments, with one fan writing: ‘Love. Julia’s the only celebrity who makes sense in this news cycle.’
Another wrote: ‘Omg Julia is so iconic!’
Others were outraged, with one commenter on a news article about the event writing: ‘Julia with the red crotch stained panties seems to be sending some loony liberal message. I remember seeing dims at demonstrations dressed like this, trying to virtue signal something about men can mensurate.’
Another agreed: ‘Julia Fox is so desperate.’
But comments like these (particularly from men) are precisely what Fox tries to evoke with her boundary-pushing looks.
She appeared at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in a sheer dress this year that only covered her crotch, thanks to the long mermaid hair that curled across, down, and around her body, earning similar outrage.
Many expressed disgust, saying that the dress looked like overgrown body hair.
Dressing for the male gaze is something most women do without even realising it, with hundreds of years of fashion trends and social conditioning working to subconsciously influence women’s clothing choices.
To escape it, one must make a deliberate choice – and be willing to risk becoming what women are most conditioned to fear: repulsive and unpalatable.
A key aspect of Fox’s art is challenging societal conditioning by turning elements that men often find unappealing on women – such as body hair or period blood – into statements of chic, high fashion.
Chatting with Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour to discuss her memoir, Down the Drain, she said: ‘Men hate my outfits. They’re so mad that I’m not like how I was on Uncut Gems.
‘I hear that all the time, but I don’t care…because the girls love it. The girls and the gays love it!’
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