Lena Dunham Dons Frum Fashion And Defends Fat-Phobic Sweatshirt
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
And on the 7th day of New York Fashion Week, Lena Dunham rested.
Her day of rest was not practiced for religious reasons but due largely to her ongoing health complications. And yet, in an Instagram post on Wednesday, the 32-year-old actress looked like nothing more than a nice Borough Park girl, dressed, as she was, in a high-necked, modest dress by Israeli-American designer Batsheva.
Why was the queen of nudity dressed head-to-toe in Hassidic fashion, you ask? And why does Dunham revere designer Batsheva Hay, whose collections are inspired by her Jewish upbringing and vintage patterns? Consider that Dunham lauded Hay for designing body-positive silhouettes just days before she was outed as an accidental body-shaming affiliate?
This is not the first time Lena’s high-profile words and actions have proved to be contradictory. We’re here to pick apart the hotly contested celebrity’s 48 hour Instagram bluster. Won’t you join us through this maze of mixed emotions, below?
September 10th:
Lena conveys how sad she is to be missing the Zero + Maria Cornejo fashion show. Even though the “Girls” producer won’t be in attendance, she wears one of the brand’s plaid midi dress and striped robe as shield of “armor,” as she describes it, in an Instagram post. The covered attire is used to combat the soreness she feels inside her body. We love this look, and Lena’s commitment to representing artists she believes in.
Image by Instagram
September 11th:
In another NYFW at home, Lena dons a midi length black and white Batsheva dress that could be described as the most chicest Yom Kippur ensemble we’e ever laid our eyes on. We love that Lena loves Batsheva.
Image by Instagram
September 12th:
The queen of controversy takes to Instagram to show her unwavering support for candidate for New York State Governor Cynthia Nixon, and their shared ongoing fight to protect women’s bodies.
Image by Instagram
September 13th:
The LPA x Lena collection launches on Revolve, followed by immediate backlash after a shirt from the collection that reads: “Being fat is not beautiful, it’s an excuse” is shared on social media. Just the day before the self-identified body-positive advocate told viewers she supports a democratic candidate protecting women’s bodies. Now, we don’t know what to think. Her full apology and explanation can be found below.
Image by Instagram
September 14th:
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming where Dunham goes from voting at Baruch College in a Batsheva prairie dress— ‘ I Voted’ stickers worn as pasties included— to posing in the nude with an accompanied statement solidifying her stance on women’s representation in the media.
Image by Instagram
Image by Instagram
Phew, we’re just glad to finally be off that rollercoaster.
Bonnie Azoulay is an intern for the Forward.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
