Clothing has always had a way of defining us. It expresses our mood, tells our opinions, and up until the 20th century it reinforced our gender roles. It was always said that blue was for boys and pink was for girls. And (in modern times) it was thought that dresses defined femininity while trousers defined masculinity. But now more than ever we are seeing these thoughts redefined. As more people are becoming open to the idea of diverse gender expressions, the industry is also becoming more inclusive with the rise of gender-neutral fashion.
Gender neutral fashion is defined as the “ability to communicate one’s ideal self without socially imposed gender markers being attributed to them through their clothing”. Inclusivity has always had a market, hence, the trend becoming more mainstream in recent years. When Off-White released “For All” in 2018, it become one of the first prominent luxury brands to do so, following the likes of brands such as Telfar and Ekhaus Latta, whose clothing (and accessories) since conception were labeled unisex. Soon enough more brands followed suit with their own collections, such as Levi’s in 2019 with it’s “Guide to Unisex Style” and Stella McCartney with “StellaShared” in 2020. Celebrities such as Harry Styles in Gucci and Pete Davidson in Thom Browne furthered the conversation. And now, luxury brands have fully embraced the movement.
Gucci is one of the most prominent luxury brands when it comes to gender- free collections. Their runway shoes have always had male and female models wearing clothes interchangeably with an emphasis on suiting silhouettes. In 2020 they launched the MX Project, labeled as a non-binary, gender fluid line of clothing and accessories set out to “deconstruct preconceived binaries and question how these concepts relate to our bodies”. Featuring studded loafers, leather pants, and retro tweed jacket, it’s a new take on what it means to be genderless and offers a fresh perspective.
Prada has always been known to blend the lines of masculinity and femininity. Continuing to bring sophisticated tailoring combined with bold patterns and unique textures. With their recent show “Fluid Form” Prada embraces androgyny and challenges traditional gender norms with narrow waist shorts, exaggerated tops, and broad shoulder jackets, cementing itself as a favorite for those looking for gender neutral clothing.
Louis Vuitton first introduced the idea of a gender -neutral future at their Spring/Summer 2021 show. And now as Pharell has become the newest creative director, the momentum continues. The Spring 2024 show came with fluid suit suiting, show stopping coats, and oversized silhouettes for all. They even launched LV Volt in 2022, a line of gender-neutral fine jewelry.
In 2019 Versace launched its first line of unisex fragrances, Atelier Versace Fragrances. They then went on to approached gender-neutral fashion in early 2020 for its winter collection at Milan fashion week, presenting the men’s and women’s collections together in fluid jungle prints, track suits, and florals. Of the show Donatella Versace stated, “there is a generation that doesn’t care about gender.”
Though gender neutral clothing is continuing to increase in popularity, it is so much more than just a trend. The notion of being able to dress free from gender restrictions has always been around, and, is now becoming a forefront in the industry as more and more luxury brands are blurring the lines between what is labeled as feminine and masculine, creating unisex capsules, and embracing androgynous and non-binary models for campaigns and runway shows.
As society becomes more open to the idea of gender fluid self expression, fashion will continue to play an important part in inclusivity and will continue to prove that there are no limits or boundaries when it comes to expressing oneself.
Article by Melia Robinson, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Photos by Mia Fyson, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine
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