SKIMS has just launched &ldquo;The Ultimate Bush&rdquo; - &ldquo;hairy pants&rdquo;. From there, it opens up cultural experiments on how the body is commercialised, displayed and redefined in the age of technology. While &ldquo;forbidden ground&rdquo; can become the boundary between statement and irony, it is in this blurred space that fashion finds a new voice for bodily freedom.

The phrase &ldquo;full bush in a bikini&rdquo; is exploding as a new manifesto of the times, exposing the natural truth of the body, unadorned, unapologetically. Artist Sujindah&rsquo;s video, capturing the moment she confidently flaunted her body in a bikini, has surpassed 14 million views and quickly become a symbol of the &ldquo;body-positivity wave&rdquo; of the Gen Z generation. Just a few weeks later, Kim Kardashian &ndash; who redefined female body standards through SKIMS &ndash; caused a stir in the fashion world with the product &ldquo;The Ultimate Bush&rdquo; (a faux fur thong) handcrafted from thin mesh fabric, with curly or straight artificial &ldquo;fur&rdquo;, accompanied by a color palette of 12 skin tones. The product was sold for 32 USD and quickly sold out within a few hours of going on sale.
If this campaign was launched by SKIMS, this is not too surprising because previously, the brand's campaigns focused on exploiting real bodies such as flaws, skin, wrinkles. This time, the brand touched a key point - a place that fashion rarely dares to mention. And the interesting thing is, instead of protesting, the public discussed it enthusiastically. Amidst the sarcastic laughter, a question was raised, whether this faux fur thong was a joke, a way to commercialize or a fashion statement for an era that honors originality from within and more?

The history of the &quot;naked&quot; aesthetic perspective

Despite its success in taking the internet by storm, SKIMS&rsquo; &ldquo;The Ultimate Bush&rdquo; is not the first invention. In the history of fashion, the concept of merkin &ndash; a cover or undergarment made of faux fur &ndash; has existed since the 15th century, originally used to protect private areas or hide the marks of shaving for medical reasons. Over time, this item became a symbol of fetish couture in cinema and theater, before being brought to the catwalk by pioneering fashion houses.
Avant-garde designers like Maison Margiela have turned pubic hair into an iconic material in haute couture as a way to challenge the concept of elegance and expand the limits of beauty. In 2024, Margiela Artisanal took the fashion world by storm when it used hand-sewn details of fur, hair and natural materials, both daring and alluring. Galliano then recreated the &ldquo;nude illusion&rdquo; element in a sensual but not vulgar way, bringing viewers into a dialogue between nakedness and aesthetics. Recently, Jean Paul Gaultier also became a talking point when he introduced a &ldquo;second skin&rdquo; that accurately described each hair on the body (look 5 and 6 in the Spring/Summer 2026 collection). So, can the real body become a source of inspiration for fashion?

When we talk about the “full bush in a bikini” trend that is spreading on social media, most people see it not only as a viral phenomenon, but also as a return to “authentic beauty” – where women choose to show off rather than hide, and see their bodies as natural creations and not as flaws that need to be fixed. On the positive side, this offers a new perspective, encouraging not only women but everyone to be confident in their most natural bodies. From the runway to everyday life, the merkin has escaped its provocative symbolism to become a statement about the body. When Kim Kardashian reinterpreted it through the language of mass commerce, the merkin was not only revived, but redefined, between high fashion and social media culture.

Forbidden zone or dialogue between fashion and body?

On the business side, Maison Margiela, Jean Paul Gaultier or SKIMS have succeeded in driving search volume to the highest level. Because in an era where every shock can be converted into media value, the approach of the above brands has captured that formula precisely.
However, if we dig deeper, the &ldquo;full bush in a bikini&rdquo; trend is not intended to be provocative, but rather a reaction against the pressure of a &ldquo;standard&rdquo; body as a way to reclaim sovereignty for what was once considered unattractive. SKIMS, with Kim Kardashian&rsquo;s characteristic acumen, has captured this spirit and transformed it into a mass product that is both ironic and challenging to contemplate. Of course, the public reaction is always divided into two opposing directions, on the other side, are we glorifying nature or are we commercialising the sensitive area? When the image of fake fur is packaged, priced and sold out in a few hours, is the message still intact or is it just the main purpose of a shocking promotional strategy?
SKIMS, or any brand, of course, is well aware of that risk. But perhaps what makes Kim Kardashian successful is knowing how to walk that line and maintain balance. The brand turns &ldquo;forbidden&rdquo; into a media touchpoint, turns embarrassment into conversation. Whether praised or criticized, the public is still talking about the body, and that is the brand&rsquo;s first victory.

From Margiela to SKIMS: The Commercialisation of Intimacy

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