Was This Givenchy Bra Look a Sign of Progress for Bigger Boobs in Fashion?
From Duran Lantink’s prosthetic breasts to Miguel Castro Freitas’ nipple dress, it was Sarah Burton’s Givenchy that reigned supreme.
Two years ago, we commented on the state of fuller busts on fashion week runways. The situation was pretty dire, with most fashion shows featuring smaller chests as the industry standard, when many of us know all too well that that’s not the case.
Adding insult to injury was the sheer dressing trend, which, at the time, was only just emerging, and since then, it’s become somewhat of a staple for the majority of fashion runways. Unsurprisingly, the trend seemed to benefit only the smaller-busted models, and wouldn’t dare be shown on their curvier, fuller-busted counterparts. Another reinforcing message that fuller busts don’t belong on the runway.
As a quite stark contrast to the dainty, sheer tops and dresses, came Duran Lantink’s divisive Fall/Winter 2025 runway show. Seemingly designed in “bad taste,” the collection’s standout was an outfit that featured a pair of large, prosthetic breasts. Hailed as some form of female empowerment, it felt instead like all it did was position bigger boobs as a joke.
“I love the idea of women as action figures. I think everyone should feel empowered to create their own identity and not feel restricted by anything,” said Lantink in a press release at the time.
As the seasons progressed, fuller-bust representation did not, but during this mammoth season of Spring/Summer 2026, it felt like something might have shifted. Amidst the wave of countless creative director debuts, we saw a small number of women designers coming to the forefront, namely Louise Trotter for Bottega Veneta and Sarah Burton, who presented her sophomore collection for Givenchy this season, which sparked a wider debate on the differences between men designing for women and women designing for women.
The contrast was made even more stark when viewers compared two major looks by two major designers, with one major difference. Miguel Castro Freitas made his debut for Mugler this season, with a sheer, nipple tassel dress quickly becoming the talk of the internet. Of course, the barely-there outfit was showcased on a slim, flatter-chested woman and featured tassels hanging off her nipples.
Potentially one of this season’s most divisive looks, it was hard to see this depiction of so-called femininity and sexualization of the female form and not instantly compare it to Burton’s Givenchy. Conversely, the female designer’s SS26 collection was centered around “powerful femininity,” characterized through sharp tailoring and well-fitting garments. The standout look from Burton’s collection featured a black leather bra and matching, scrunched skirt, worn by a slightly curvier model with a fuller cup size.
For the fuller-busted women among us, there was something about the size and shape of this bra that felt like something shifted. For the first time in a long time, it felt like there was a look being designed to actually fit bigger boobs and, perhaps even more significantly, it actually looked good, too.
Now we’re not saying that one, well-fitting look will change everything, but for many of us, it felt like a small symbol of progress. A woman in shining armor amidst a sea of sheer dresses, exclusive design and a feeling that we don’t quite belong.
