Since launching their brand Namilia in 2015, Nan Li and Emilia Pfohl have used their provocative punk designs to reclaim female sexuality. Known for their infamous “dickini” tops and lux vulva covered dresses, it only made sense for the Berlin-based design duo to team up with Pornhub for their fall/winter 2020 show. The must-see fashion week spectacle was presented Sunday night to a packed house at Pier 59 in New York City and livestreamed to viewers across the world on the free porn site.
Titled “Herotica,” the latest collection featured more of the playful and subversive looks Namilia is known for, which have been worn by everyone from Billie Eilish to Cardi B. Models took to the runway looking like transformers, with giant “cock-wrecking” robot hands, while others wore girly Clueless-inspired latex miniskirts covered in rhinestone “dick dollar signs.”
“There is such a big taboo around sex in general, and also pornography and sex workers. So we wanted to normalize sex and sex work, and give it a new context with the fashion show,” Li told i-D.
Namilia’s partnership with Pornhub furthers the tube site’s foray into fashion, after collaborating previously with Hood by Air and Richardson. But, the presentation was about more than just glittery phalluses and pussy-shaped accessories. With “Herotica” Namilia used their over-the-top designs to confront white supremacy, festishization, and the male gaze.
For the show, Namilia enlisted an entirely Asian cast of models, which included Pornhub star Asa Akira, who made her anticipated runway debut in a Kimono-inspired bodysuit emblazoned with the words “cock wrecker.” The collection featured several other Asian motifs, as a commentary on the fetishization and objectification of Asian women, especially in porn. Traditional Chinese fabrics were woven throughout the looks, one standout piece was an oversized takeout container top covered in red brocade fabric and adorned with long ramen noodles and dick-shaped shrimps.
“This collection was really personal to me. I’ve always faced problems with racism, and racist stereotypes,” said Li, whose parents immigrated to Germany from China. “I wanted to showcase Asian pride and Asian empowerment.”
“I think you can see now, especially with the coronavirus [outbreak], that racism and stereotyping against Asians is a big issue,” he added, pointing out that sound clips from news stories about the coronavirus opened the show.
With “Herorotica” and the duo’s previous collections like “Join the Resistance” and “My Pussy My Choice” Li and Pfohl are using their raver gear and runway spectacle to further explore the issues taking over our timelines. While it’s not unusual to see designers these days making a political statement with their fashion week shows, Namilia hopes their statements on women, sex, and power will extend beyond the runway.
“We were talking to so many people [after the show], and I liked that people were asking questions,” explained Li. “I just hope with our work we can trigger a thought or a conversation.”
