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Read MoreSurging Impact of Gender Neutrality on Fashion Industry
The notion that feminine and masculine are defined and separated is turning grey. We are entering and creating a society where gender is not a simple binary but an element on a sliding scale. How this shift plays the Fashion World is one scene to study.
Introduction
We have always existed under the impression that gender is binary. So has the fashion industry, since its inception, acknowledged and adapted.
However, the notion that clothing as an expression of one's personality belongs to a particular gender is dismantling. An angled look reveals the revolution's connection to the broader discussion of gender and sexuality brought into sight by the LGBTQ+ community.
Today Consumers, prominently Gen Z, are stepping out of the societal boxes and demanding a more inclusive society for all.
The introduction of Gender-Neutral Fashion is one step in the direction.
Why Fashion? Because Fashion mirrors Peoples' culture and beliefs. That inherently draws a principle - Society moulds Fashion and Fashion structures society.
In the beginning, Gender-Neutral Fashion was traced out of feminism as an effort to blur the lines carved between Men and Women by patriarchal culture of the era. Even though history granted multiple breakthroughs, all went sunset because of the uncertain times brought upon by wars that followed.
With its return in the 1990s, the then passing trend of Unisex Clothing was now set to take up stable space in the culture as Gender-Neutral Fashion.
This time Individual Expression became the driving force. People began to treat gender neutral fashion as an opportunity to experiment with personal style and in the process express themselves more honestly. Not being bound by the binary construct of gender, they felt more comfortable and liberated in their skin.
And as History reflects, when Fashion becomes much personal to oneself, it's existence is impossible to eradicate from one's experience.
Growing more and more in resonance, Gender-Neutral Fashion finally caught the global spotlight in 2016.
Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele combined Men's and Women's collections into a single show, thus making the brand a flag-bearer of unique runway presentations.
Louis Vuitton placed Jaden Smith in a Women's Wear Ad campaign titled “a new man in a skirt” and stirred spice into Men's Fashion Catalogue.
The years that followed marked a smooth sail aimed primarily to deepen the Queer Fashion and its influence among masses.
Billy Porter, American Actor-Singer, led the road first wearing a tuxedo gown to the Oscars in February 2019.
Followed by Harry styles who made headlines with his appearance on the Vogue cover wearing a lacy gown with a tuxedo by Gucci in December 2019.
Recently, Prominent Fashion Brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs launched their own line of Gender-Neutral Collections purposed to celebrate self-expression in the name of all gender equality for fashion enthusiasts world-wide.
The Painted Picture of Gender Neutral Fashion still has its flaws. A vital concept that brands miss repeatedly is the interconnectedness of gender neutrality and gender fluidity. The introduced clothing lines focus majorly on Colours (ex. Blue) and Fits (ex. Shirt) that can be worn by all genders. Although this does cater to the idea of gender neutrality, it disregards the idea of gender-fluidity leading to lack of availability of Colours (ex. Pastels) and Fits (Skirts) largely (traditionally) associated with one gender (ex. Female) for a person of another gender (ex. Male).
It is easy to notice that the masculine nature of fashion has been acknowledged well by the Fashion industry and made accessible to the other gender (ex. Women wearing masculine fits makes a common site) but the feminine nature is still missing its proper recognition, availability and distribution for the other gender (Men wearing feminine fits makes a rare sight).
It reflects there's a long haul ahead. Still.
Conclusion
Challenging the societal norm has become the new norm and it reflects that Fashion has become its impactful visual weapon as it not only helps embrace the yin yang nature of one's living but also acknowledges that one's struggle is common to others.
It's understood, Gender Neutral Fashion is not just another phase of the Industry, rather a initiator of deconstructing and reconstructing our definitions of Masculinity & Femininity.
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