The concept of the “hard body” is central to the exhibition, both because hardness is associated with strength and power, and because the relationship between body and clothes has changed dramatically in recent years. Today, both men and women seek to achieve strong, attractive bodies that are at least partially exposed by modern clothing. This red bustier in the form of a naked female torso is a tribute to these new attitudes. Created in 1983, when bodybuilding first became widely popular, it is the brainchild of avant-garde Japanese designer Issey Miyake.

Love & War also includes a number of other examples of “hard body” fashions, such as Hussein Chalayan’s beige molded fiberglass dress with metal closures. Certain fashions made of leather also send the message of the hard (powerful, androgynous) body, while contemporary corset fashions (in leather, metal, fiberglass, and canvas) emphasize a hard, erect, clearly female body.