Misha Japanwala is a Pakistani artist and fashion designer whose work challenges the relationship between shame and bodies. Known for her iconic sculptural breastplates, Japanwala has worked with everyone from Cardi B to Lil Nas X and even made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Fighting for Marginalized Bodies
According to Japanwala, her identity as a Pakistani Muslim woman has informed her art from the beginning. “In South Asia, women’s bodies are seen in a certain cultural context, and it’s difficult for women to have agency over their own bodies,” said the young artist in a conversation with Vice. “Women I’ve worked with have told me that my designs helped them see their bodies in a different way and appreciate it.”
Due to cultural and systemic gender equality issues in Pakistan, women’s bodies are often controlled or commodified by men, and bodily shame is instilled from a young age. This cultural shame can affect even those of Pakistani heritage residing outside of Pakistan. Japanwala’s creations, which bridge the gap between high art and high fashion, resist these forces of control. By sculpting the naked bodies of herself and others, Japanwala reimagines the relationship between women, particularly marginalized women, and their bodies with raw, uncensored honesty.
Breaking the Mold
In 2021, Japanwala’s work entered the spotlight when one of her breastplates appeared on Cardi B’s Instagram. In the photo, the Dominican rapper dons a white sculpture formed in the image of her nude pregnant figure. Because it is a piece of art, the breastplate and other of Japanwala’s works are able to slip past Instagram’s nudity censors.
The piece earned the artist a mountain of praise and skyrocketed her into global recognition, there was also a backlash against Japanwala’s art due to her Pakistani roots. “I get comments and DMs daily that my work goes ‘against our culture’ or that ‘how dare I create such designs as a Muslim woman,” Japanwala said.
Later that same year, another of Japanwala’s breastplates appeared on Cardi B’s body in the music video for her and Lizzo’s track ‘Rumours’.
In addition to Cardi B, Japanwala has created pieces for other notable artists and celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Lil Nas X, and Joy Crookes, allowing them to bare it all in photoshoots and on red carpets.
Continued Resistance
Japanwala’s revolutionary work has garnered press in publications like The New York Times, Vogue, and The Guardian. She even snagged a coveted spot in 2021’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list, with Forbes writing, “[Japanwala’s] work addresses issues such as domestic violence and honor killings in Pakistan.” Although Forbes received comments calling Japanwala’s work “pervert art,” the hate was largely drowned out by praise from the art world and gratitude from women everywhere. She has only continued making waves.
In 2022, Julia Fox wore one of the iconic breastplates in her cover shoot for Vogue. In 2023, Japanwala designed a metallic silver breastplate for actor Lupita Nyong’o, who wore it to the Tony Awards. Today, Japanwala continues to create art and fashion that allows bodies to exist as they are, without shame.
