As Madonna’s seminal SEX book is re-issued with the help of Saint Laurent, we take a look at its impact.
Not much is shocking anymore, particularly if you’re chronically online. Posting revealing photos, making (often concerning) jokes about your mental health and talking about drug use is all par for the course for Gen Zs, as the list of things society considers taboo continues to shrink.
When it comes to sex positivity for women in pop culture, strides have been made. Sexual references are common for female musicians, from Lady Gaga wanting to take a ride on a disco stick in 2008, to Miley Cyrus gyrating atop a wrecking ball in 2013, (though both women experienced criticism from the media and public.) More recent – and explicit! – examples include Cardi B’s WAP and Kim Petras’ Slut Pop. Chloe Cherry’s porn-star-to-actress pipeline helps combat the trope that you will be outcast from mainstream society after sex work. And Kim Kardashian’s sex tape didn’t stop her becoming a reality TV mogul, businesswoman and billionaire (it arguably helped).
But if we rewind 30 years, things looked a little different. If there had been an internet, Madonna would have broken it with the release of her SEX book in 1992. The book came in silver foil, like a condom, and featured erotic shots of Madonna and others (including Naomi Campbell and Isabella Rossellini), photographed by Steven Meisel. As the pop icon posted on Instagram last month on the book’s 30-year anniversary: “In addition to photos of me naked there were photos of men kissing men, women kissing women, and me kissing everyone.” Nudity, BDSM gear, homosexual imagery, and sexual poses abounded, along with writing from Madonna about sexual fantasies and her relationship to sex, through the viewpoint of her alter ego, Mistress Dita. It has widely been commended as ahead of its time in its display of female sexuality.
It’s not that talk of sex didn’t exist in media at the time; Baby Got Back – the song about men who love “big butts” came out earlier the same year. But a woman taking control of her sexuality and being open about it publicly was almost unheard of. As Madonna took to her Instagram story to explain, “I was called a whore, a witch, a heretic and the devil.” The Vatican condemned the book, urging people to boycott it. Countries such as Ireland, Japan, and India banned it. Despite this, it was a roaring success. Over 1.5 million copies sold worldwide in just a few days, and it topped best seller lists curated by the Washington Post and New York Times.
30 years later, the influential book is being celebrated rather than boycotted to mark its lasting impact and anniversary. Re-released by Saint Laurent Rive Droite and publisher Callaway, it is being accompanied by an exhibition staged by the French fashion house at Art Basel Miami Beach. “SEX remains a seminal artifact of culture and style, having paved the way for countless artists,” reads the brand’s statement. Curated by Madonna and the brand’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello, large-format prints from the book will be displayed on the walls of a temporary beachfront gallery during the art fair.
This isn’t the first time that Saint Laurent has dabbled in sex positivity: in 2019, the brand revealed “The Love Affair” campaign, which consisted of condoms printed with its logo, sold for €2 at its Paris concept store, Rive Droite. Not one to shy away from provocativeness, creative director Vaccarello curated Saint Laurent Rive Droite as a creative retail destination that “represents an amusing and chic version of today’s Saint Laurent universe,” for expression, cultural exchange, and lifestyle.
800 copies of the book have been created exclusively for Saint Laurent, with a limited number signed by Madonna herself to be auctioned in the coming months. Proceeds will go to the musician’s Raising Malawi charity. Running from November 29th to December 4th (3PM to 9PM), the Saint Laurent gallery will be free to visit for anyone over 18.
Images courtesy of Saint Laurent.
