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Few silhouettes garner as much shock value as the bumster. First pioneered by the late Alexander McQueen in his 1993 “Taxi Driver” collection, the revealing design made an eye-popping return to runways this season.
From Dilara Findikoglu’s ultra-low lace-up leather hot pants, to Ludovic De Saint Sernin’s “butt-cleavage” leather trousers and briefs, Vaquera’s revealing twist on chaps, Masha Popova’s cut-out cheek jeans and Chet Lo’s deep-scoop backless dresses — variations of the bumster were everywhere for Autumn/Winter 2024. But will its popularity on the runway translate to sales?
Low-rise trousers coming back into fashion is a precursor of sorts. “Popularity of low-rise pants has increased 16.6 per cent over the past month based on a sentiment analysis I ran of hundreds of different online press articles and posts,” says Madé Lapuerta, a software engineer who runs the Instagram account Data But Make It Fashion, on trousers’ lowering waistband. However, Lapuerta says that she “couldn’t find much data using the term ‘bumster’”, suggesting the look is still on the fringe of fashion’s mainstream. That said, the design is getting people talking.
“The collection has elicited a wide range of responses, from a lot of excitement and interest to surprise or even scepticism about who would wear these designs,” says Ukrainian-born, London-based designer Masha Popova. “The full extent of the reception will become clearer in the coming months.”
Popova believes that her customers, who she describes as “avant-garde, confident, and not afraid to experiment with their fashion choices”, won’t be surprised by the design. “From the very first MA-graduate collection, I made our signature cut-out jeans that featured adjustable waists to accommodate diverse body types. These jeans are still our bestsellers,” she continues on her infamous hip-revealing silhouette. “In my graduate collection I also had the ‘embroidered-feather’ bumsters. These items have been well received, illustrating our consumers’ readiness for such daring pieces.”
“A return to deliberate undressing”
In the age of visible panties, naked dresses and cut-outs, perhaps it’s no surprise that the bumster is back.
“I feel like there’s a return to deliberate undressing,” says Sarah Faisal, founder of London-based vintage platform and archival showroom Baraboux. “It’s something that was a heavy trend in the ’90s with McQueen and Tom Ford at Gucci, picking what we reveal and making that the statement.”
In response to the growing intrigue, Faisal recently sourced a La Poupee metallic green micro-mini bumster skirt from SS97 that is available to rent from the Baraboux archive, while new-gen designer Davounte Williams’s extreme low-rise skirt has also been a popular rental choice as of late. “I’ve seen them styled pretty effectively when you make the butt crack the focus,” she says, “having a top that hits just at the mid-waist and highlighting the low rise always looks good.”
“Many people are becoming increasingly confident in showcasing their natural forms, seeking fashion that allows them to express their unique identities and personal confidence,” says Popova. “It seems to be a collective response to shifts in social movements, deeply rooted in a cultural embrace of body positivity and a celebration of body diversity — making room for bold statements like bumsters that highlight the body in unconventional ways.”
“There’s a noticeable trend towards greater confidence in showing skin, evident in the prevalence of cut-out and sheer designs,” agrees Katie Rowland, womenswear, kidswear and fine jewellery buying director at Mytheresa. “We’re definitely noticing a shift towards more low-rise styles, particularly in pants and denim, although not quite the full-on original McQueen bumster. We have observed its influence incorporated somewhat in dresses, especially in eveningwear, with designers like Aya Muse and Tom Ford showcasing very low backs on some of their pieces. The consumer for this trend is fun, confident and sexy.”
Will the bumster sell?
NSFW, skin-centric styles might be trending, but will consumers be brave enough to actually buy in?
Perhaps with a few tweaks they will. “The foundational concept of our bumsters, much like our initial jeans design, allows for various styling options that can either accentuate or downplay their distinctiveness,” explains Popova. “By pairing bumsters with different undergarments, one can control the level of exposure and adapt the look to suit various settings and personal comfort levels. This versatility ensures that bumsters can transition smoothly from a bold statement piece to a more subtly edgy item suitable for a wider array of occasions.”
Rowland also notes that the low-scoop dresses Mytheresa stock are often made with fluid fabrics that can adjust the level of reveal according to your preference, in turn making them more wearable. It’s a technique also employed by Fashion East designer Olly Shinder, whose infamous bumster tank tops feature snaps fasteners that give the wearer full control over how much they bare.
Still, even with these tweaks, Rowland believes bumsters are more of a fun catwalk moment or super-sexy eveningwear look, rather than a day-to-day piece. “Many of our customers transition from beachwear to evening dresses with super-sexy mesh, sheer, or cut-out detailing, so there could be potential for low-slung backs on dresses in that context too,” she adds.
Although bumsters won’t be a significant portion of their buy, given their fashion-forward and confident customer base, Rowland says that “if there are key styles that we believe are strong, we will invest in them.”
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