Flamingo: Semiotics

Fashion visuals, whether it be photography or film, are often meticulously planned and composed in order to create a physically or metaphorically multi-layered image, and to convey a specific message to the consumer. Semiotics are always present as a way of providing a subject with more depth, and revealing things to the viewer in a subtle way, rather than spelling everything out for them. An image that is not only aesthetically beautiful, making extensive use of semiotics, but also intelligent advertising through a fashion visual, is the advertisement for the fragrance ‘Flowerbomb‘ by Viktor & Rolf. Traditionally the idea of a woman has been that she is ‘naturally nurturing, sensitive, emotional and deferring’ (Cranny-Francis, 2003, p143), however, the image challenges this stereotype, whilst still subtly maintaining the feminine and sensitive aspect that is often used to define women. It also represents a complete opposite of what Cranny-Francis describes as typical themes used around men, stating bluntly in Gender Studies; Terms and Debates, that they are represented as ‘all powerful, emotionless and authoritarian’ (Cranny-Francis, 2003, p145). These stereotypical ideas of gender are interestingly addressed through this advertising image. The photograph has a romantic stylistic form, and shows a nude female model with sheer fabric covering and obscuring her face slightly as it wafts upwards. She holds a bottle of the perfume against her face. Firstly, by blurring the models face slightly with the fabric, the image cleverly prevents itself emphasizing the model, keeping the consumers mind on the product and not the personality or celebrity of a famous face, something not often seen in perfume advertising. It also could be seen to convey to the viewer that through wearing this scent, they too could be this mysterious, enigmatic and beautiful woman, as her identity is not fixed. The fabric swathing her face could symbolise some very separate and contrasting ideas. Firstly, through its delicate colour change from purple to pink, the folds in the fabric and way it falls, it seems to simply represent a flower and its petals, however by having the model’s head encased in the base of the flower and the petals wafting upwards from this point, it represents to the consumer the perfumes ability to ‘fill’ your head. Furthermore, the positioning of the woman in the base of the flower again represents the strong and feminine lady, but also with undertones of fertility and reproduction – the idea of a womans ‘flower’, the position of her head in the part of a flower that houses its reproductive organs, and also, as flowers are asexual in their reproduction, symbolising the independent woman who does not need a man. The model appears to be wrapped in a black ribbon and wax seal giving the name of the perfume and its designers, instantly providing the advertisment with an identity and the consumer with the imperative information of the scents product details. The ribbon has been added using an image manipulation programme in order for it to give the appearance of floating and encasing the model around her shoulders and breasts, attempting to hold her arms down against her body, perhaps a comment on societies tendancy to feel protective towards females, or outdated views on how women should be and act. This is a very beautiful image on the surface, and an exquisite advertisement, fulfilling its purpose incredibly effectively, however, the levels of symbolism, and depths of messages and imagery contained within it make it much more than just a fashion image. Instead it is a defiant warcry for femininity and sexuality, a warning to men intimidated by the strong female, and a message to women that all through purchasing this scent, they can be whatever they want.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

The House of Viktor & Rolf by Caroline Evans.