Glitter, high heels, skirts and crop tops are just few of the symptoms of the epidemic of gender-fluidity in menswear that is happening at the moment. Stereotypical masculinity is dead, and most designers are triumphing an ideal, agender and neutral fashion world, where clothes are just clothes and labelling as ‘menswear’ or ‘womenswear’ is completely irrelevant. However, from catwalks and editorials, the fashion industry seems to be overlooking the translation of this gender-fluidity domination in catwalks to everyday life, in order to fill pages and be part of a ‘supposed’ cultural revolution. From successful fashion bloggers to fashion websites and even profiles on Instagram, menswear seems to be dichotomized between the people of the industry and everyday people. While Dazed is proving that the new trend for men is wearing crop tops and glitter beards, men seem to still be obsessed with suits, expensive watches and cars. Despite the praise and the hype of all prestigious publications, there seems to be a very limited interest from people who are not working for the industry. If there is one to blame for this radical change is the epitome of gender-fluidity, J. W. Anderson, who inspired and showed the fashion world that it is beautiful to embrace your very own personal sexuality, no matter how you define it. With the latest news of the designer opening a brand new store, ‘J. W. Anderson Workshop’ – effectively a pop up store that includes collaborations with other artists -, the media went crazy once more about how he has revolutionised contemporary menswear as well as how the sales of the brand grow every season more and more; however a visit to the J. W. Anderson Workshop, proved quite the opposite.
From outside, the store is indeed intriguing with its colourful wallpaper on the wall and clothes displayed in a fridge-like wardrobe, making you want to take a closer look inside. However, the main problem was that people were entering to view a gallery space showcasing an idealistic menswear of 2016, rather than an actual store where you would try on something and possibly buy it. Sale assistants were casually having a coffee at the desk, as everyone was “Okay, just looking around”, leading once again to the question ‘Does anyone buy all these supposed revolutionary pieces that J. W. Anderson designs, or is the British fashion industry just trying make this supposed cultural revolution happen?’
Hélène Sarfati, fashion consultant and buying manager at NET-A-PORTER, commented regarding this gender fluidity issue, “You won’t really see people dressed in this agender [let’s say] way, not even in the industry. In the past, it has actually happened to use J. W. Anderson pieces for editorials but for womenswear, not for menswear. Maybe its due to the agenda of the publication, however men do not seem really interested in such products despite their hype.” Regarding the effect of this transformation of menswear she adds, “Unluckily, despite the effortful trying of the industry over and over again to convince that fashion should be agender and unisex, I believe that this ‘gender – fluidity’ obsession creates actually an even further sexual discrimination to straight people, as [let’s be honest] the majority of straight people would not really love the idea of wearing high – heels and skirts! Therefore, the fashion industry itself makes them feel left out.”
“It is indeed a forced liberation of gender and sexuality by the fashion industry itself, rather than an actual success and need of customers,” agrees Vincent Poujoula, Sales Manager in Prada’s London office. “I believe that it is indeed a wonderful concept of anyone wearing and being who they really want to be, however this would survive in an idea world, and sadly ours isn’t.”
For a non-fashion opinion, Adam Jones, architecture student at Goldsmith’s University, was shown some stills from the latest shows of London Collections: Men 2016, commenting, “This is extreme. I don’t really see any fashion or beauty either wearing a boxing gown or a thong. I might not be an expert, and I honestly don’t know the inspiration or the story that it is behind all these collections, but for me this is just desperate attention seeking from the designers. Fashion doesn’t have to be extreme to be creative.”
From left to right: Sibling Fall/Winter 2016 Collection - Photograph by Yannis Vlamos,Nasir Mazhar Fall/Winter 2016 Collection – Photograph by Yannis Vlamos, J. W. Anderson Fall/Winter 2016 Collection - Photograph by Marcus Tondo
Therefore, what is this gender-fluidity all about? Is it for advertising? Is it for a better non-hatred future? Or is it just for British fashion to prove that still in 2016, innovations and creativity such as those of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano still exist?
Through this transformation and this supposed liberation of menswear from well-fitted suits, brogues and stereotypes, the industry has actually succeeded in fending off even further men to be interested and up to date with fashion. The average man cannot identify with the collections, and he would probably not even be allowed to even wear them at his workplace. This is of course due to society’s norms and a cultural issue, however this does not mean that what menswear designers are trying to do is working. For the past few years, and due to such a high competition between aspiring and new fashion designers, creativity and originality have been identified with extremism and hyperbole. In order to draw attention and impress the industry, neither talent nor creativity is shown rather than pure signs of egomaniac ambition and arrogance. British fashion might have come to a halt in terms of creativity and originality, and that might be due to the way society is and acts in 2016. Superficiality overrules everyone, and the goal is only money and fame. Well, designers such as Alexander McQueen or Vivienne Westwood did not design for either of these. Maybe we should just accept that creativity and originality is lost, return to the old but at least relevant well-fitted suits and watches, and wait until British fashion awakens with the coming of a truly creative and talented designer. Until then, let’s see how far this propaganda of gender-fluidity can go.