Since ages, the concepts of gender stereotypes have been deep routed in our society. We have been reflecting these toxic patterns through means of expressions like music, art, movies as well as fashion.
The projection of fashion for men in movies, series and books during the 90s and even till recent 2000s somewhat created a sense diversion between the fashion choices for men and women. However, the modern fashion refuses to be bound in shells. With the breakthrough of diverse gender identities, men and women are seen openly at variance with implications of gender-role beliefs. The expression of freedom of oneself through a fashion that is unbound by gender stereotypes is a revolution that the world has finally come to witness.
What is androgynous fashion?
Androgyny is a Latin word which means the blend of women and men from which the fashion style is derived. Androgynous fashion is the style which is created to eradicate the stereotypical elements of masculinity and femininity in fashion. In Fashion, it represents a gender neutral and non-binary expression of gender identities. Men wearing corsets or women pulling off two piece suits convey the essence of androgynous fashion. However, androgyny is more than a fashion statement. Way before the times when gender fluidity was non existential, the fashion industry has been welcoming towards the queer people, most of the successful designers being gay, bi and trans likes of which is a famous name – Michael Kors. Androgynous fashion might be a little late to the show but this is the industry where it is valued and has a potential to thrive the most. The last couple years has seen a steady rise in Androgynous models like Lemuel Huffman who is a Chennai based model and a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. The trans model are claimed to have stolen Louis Vuitton’s SS19 runway with queer fashion. Our cultural standards has repressed the overall expression of alternative style of clothing since the beginning of time. Non-binary fashion has given the liberty to express one’s personal choice of aesthetics.
How PR has helped in the growth of gender fluid fashion
The public relations team for various fashion brands have worked aggressively in spreading awareness about this new trend in fashion with influencer endorsement targetting celebrities, social media influencers and fashion bloggers. Celebrities are considered as trend setters and play the key role in promoting a trend in the fashion industry. Brands collaborate with these A- listed stars which help them gain exposure and credibility to a fashion trend.
In 2020, Former Frat boy band member, Harry Styles became a controversial sensation when he shot for Vouge’s December Cover wearing a pink Gucci dress. Along side Gucci, Harry has posed wearing dresses from high end brands like Copova Lowena, Wales Bonner as well. The main issue that was highlighted after these shoots was the gender binary attitude of consumers of fashion even during this modern era. After this event, a lot of his fans and the woke audience have been seen biding aideu to binary fashion. The are other celebrities under the same line like the Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh which has been spotted wearing a bow-blouse in a photoshoot for the magazine L’Officiel. The American singer, Billie Eilish, besides her youth centric music, is popular for killing the baggy co-ordinator style “boy clothes” look. The singer has expressed her frustration on traditionally gendered fashion in interviews. The American rapper Jaden Smith too was observed fronting Louis Vuitton’s womenswear campaign. These Celebrities have been proving that breaking out the gender assigned outfits won’t make one less “masculine” or “feminine“. The contemporary audiences are seen following the footsteps towards androgynous fashion.
Fashion PR representatives understand both the brand and the target audience so they work on promoting the emotional benefits of what the clothing or the trend represents and how is it going to impact the society as a whole and the fashion industry in particular.
High profile events like New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, British Fashion Council Fund Show, Berlin Premium International Fashion Trade Show influence the world about the ideas which are going to be “the new thing” in the Fashion industry. The runways have witnessed this bold statement of combining menswear and womenswear which still feels unfamiliar or, at least, relatively new to the audience however, the influence has been marked and fashion is taking a leap towards this giant revolution.
This is a great evolution wherein a lot of people have partaken however, individuals who express themselves out of binary are still targeted as obscene by a large segment of the society which proves that we still have a lot of junk to clear. While the positive news is that fashion lovers have welcomed gender fluidity with open arms since this is what fashion stands for – freedom for expressing oneself, unity and love for all.