Shapewear. Since the word was coined in the 1970s, hundreds of brands correcting the human shape have entered the market, but there is one that has become synonymous with its product: Spanx. In this animated explainer, MoMA curator Paola Antonelli asks, “Does a smooth, lean shape really make a woman more powerful? Comfortable? Self-assured? Stronger? Or could Spanx be today’s version of the corset—yet another way to alter women’s physiques in pursuit of an unattainable ideal?”

This Collision Award-winning animated series was made for the exhibition “Pirouette: Turning Points in Design” which highlights the role of designers at their most inventive and constructive, and demonstrates the power of design to translate human experience into tangible forms and envision a better future.