Stained Evidence: Blood, Semen and Matter on the Clothes of Kennedy, Lewinsky, and Margiela

Abstract

Accidental stains offer unique, material evidence of love, life, decay, and death. Traditionally, we have admired cloth and clothing for its new, pristine qualities and have celebrated those features in our personal clothing, alongside collections, displays, catwalks, and advertising. This paper explores the underside of this known realm by drawing on the case studies of Jackie Kennedy's blood-stained suit, Monica Lewinsky's infamous blue dress, a controversial reading of the Shroud of Turin, and the living fabrics of Martin Margiela. In suggesting that the accidental stain exemplifies Kristeva's abjection in two twentieth-century American presidential settings, we find stained garments powerfully symbolising dishonour and tragedy. The unintended mark may also deface an otherwise unblemished garment, and make the original fabric sacred. In a final twist, we see fashion deliberately applying stains for aesthetic purpose but the accidental stain continues to retain the power of defacement.