Greek designer Di Petsa put motherhood at the center of London Fashion Week on Monday, September 21, with a surprise runway appearance by heavily pregnant Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
The 34-year-old modeled an ivory two-piece ensemble inspired by a goddess-like aesthetic, captivating fans who labeled her “art.”
The mood, however, changed dramatically during the finale, when liquid designed to resemble breast milk began squirting from Pinnock’s chest.
“Why, seriously?” one person asked, while another commented, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
Leigh-Anne Pinnock marked a new career milestone with Di Petsa’s London Fashion Week show
Pinnock took to Instagram late Monday to share her experience walking the runway with her 9.3 million followers.
The singer expressed elation over making her modeling debut with Di Petsa, explaining that the milestone felt even more meaningful because she did it while pregnant.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget this moment,” she wrote.
Pinnock then addressed the designer directly, thanking her for not asking her to make her journey into motherhood “smaller, quieter or more palatable.”
“Pregnancy is so often treated as something we should hide.
“We’re told to cover up, to be careful, to dress around our changing bodies and somehow, in the process of that, we can lose the feeling that our bodies are ours to celebrate.
“To be given a space to stand on a runway, pregnant, completely exposed to the power of what my body is doing and to celebrate it rather than conceal it” was therefore “one of the most empowering experiences of my life,” she said.
However, a group of social media users disagreed with Pinnock’s interpretation of the runway appearance as an empowering celebration of motherhood.
The singer was accused of objectifying women with her act
Critics came down hard on Pinnock over the breast milk-themed display, with one calling the moment “ridiculous” and another stating, “Comedy is mistaken for art in the contemporary era.”
“We’ve lost the plot,” a third echoed.
Some users, meanwhile, viewed the display as unnecessarily provocative.
“Anything else left to objectify women in the name of freedom, love, and power? I mean what the hell was that???” one asked.
“This is exactly why motherhood and breastfeeding are so s**ualized,” agreed another.
“Unnecessary” and “downright weird” were among the other comments expressing viewers’ frustration.
Some defended Pinnock’s performance as a relatable portrayal of lactation
Women who had experienced pregnancy pushed back against the criticism, pointing out that producing milk is a natural part of motherhood and can sometimes happen in excess.
“Literally the first 18 months of my son’s life,” one said, referring to the simulated liquid that showered Pinnock’s fellow models.
“The scene was an actual representation of me every time I waited too long to pump,” added another.
A third person expressed surprise that so many viewers “interpreted the display in a suggestive way,” arguing that neither pregnancy nor breast milk should be viewed through that lens, as breastfeeding is simply a natural way mothers “nourish” their babies.
A fourth commenter, meanwhile, took a more lighthearted tone when reacting to the stunt.
“Where are the dark circles, the hair loss, the back pain, the crying when your baby cries because sleeping when your baby sleeps is impossible?” they asked.
Pinnock anticipated that the stunt would divide opinion and said she was comfortable with the dissent
In the same Instagram post in which Pinnock shared her experience walking the runway as an expecting mother, she acknowledged that “a moment like this won’t be for everyone.”
“But maybe that’s the point,” the singer added, further noting, “Women have spent generations being told what we can and cannot do with our bodies. I’m not interested in adding another rule.”
Speaking about her “empowering” experience on the runway once again, Pinnock said, “I felt powerful. I felt free. I felt completely, unapologetically WOMAN.”
Petsa said she had been thinking about motherhood for a long time.
During her time studying at prestigious art school Central Saint Martins, she revealed that she once wore a faux nine-month pregnant belly to college just to “feel the physicality of being pregnant.”
While the designer is not a mother herself, she explained that she feels close to the “emotional state of motherhood” and resonates deeply with “divine mother archetypes.”
Netizens continued weighing in on Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s breast milk runway moment
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