If there is one moment in fashion that I remember from 2020, it is The Puff Dress, which took over my Instagram and Pinterest feeds and probably yours too. During the pandemic, day to day life was strange and scary, which is why we gravitated to these whimsical dresses with larger than life skirts, fluffy sleeves and a magical color palette. This dress sold us a slice of happiness in such a dark time.
The brand behind the iconic frock is Selkie, established in 2018 by Kimberly Gordon, former co-founder of Wildfox. According to the brand’s website, Selkie aims to provide women with clothing that helps them find their most authentic selves. With offerings like the Eloise Duchess Corset, The Pink Lace For Lovers Gown and the Blush Queen of Angels Gown, Selkie has everything you need to help you feel like a modern-day princess.
Selkie’s latest collection titled “Libertine” debuted during Spring 2025 New York Fashion Week. It is centered around the French Revolution, but with the aesthetic of Sofia Coppola’s masterpiece film Marie Antoinette.
In an interview with PAPER Magazine, Gordon says, “When cages were so large you filled up a room and having a boat in your hair was not only a norm, it was a political statement. When you strip the Selkie model down, she is still bold and strong and takes up space. It does not matter what trends come and go, what matters is making sure this girl, the Selkie girl, is always seen.” This recognition of the strength that lies within femininity is part of what makes Selkie such an appealing brand.
Something that Selkie does best is celebrating all the ways that being a woman can look, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The women who model for Selkie have all kinds of body types, skin colors and facial features. Just like in the real world, no two models are the same. At the “Libertine” NYFW show, models were all showcased in a way that recognized their unique beauty, rather than forcing them to maintain a cookie-cutter appearance.
A video of plus-size model Charlie Reynolds in the “Libertine” show perfectly encapsulates Selkie’s mission. Reynolds wore a dress that exposed her entire back and ate an ice cream bar while walking the runway, a quiet but nevertheless powerful rejection of the fashion industry’s fatphobic values. This iconic moment celebrated the women everywhere who were told that they had to hide a part of themselves to be more palatable to society.
In an industry where Eurocentric beauty standards, thinness and youth are idolized, Selkie is breaking stereotypes one whimsical dress at a time. While Selkie is not the first brand to promote body acceptance, they are at the forefront of a new wave of self-love. When it comes to the relationship between maintaining a distinct brand aesthetic and empowering women of all kinds, Selkie is clearly doing it right.
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Hi! I’m Kayla Friedman, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.
