Another fashion month has come and gone, and although snow lines the streets, the sunshine promises that Spring will arrive any moment. While the cold lingers and I’m still shivering head to toe in layers of warm clothing, let’s talk about the fashion for Fall/Winter 2018.
In New York, British designer Naeem Anthony of Helen Anthony made his NYFW debut with a Unisex collection inspired by the merging of East and West culture. Known for its daring cuts, leading style and intricate patterns, Helen Anthony’s F/W18 collection did not disappoint, boasting fine tailoring, highly texturized fabrics, an eclectic use color and striking designs. Models showed off the stars of the show, perfectly tailored coats and suits. Many of the garments were adorned with broaches, an accessory that is sure to make a comeback in the next year or so.
Both male and female models carried oversized handbags and clutches, and some garments had global architectural icons on them, like a cape coat inspired by London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. I attended the show for Mack In Style and ended up being escorted to #FROW, which was exciting in itself, but more so because I had the chance to see the details of the pieces up close.
The major buzz around this show was not only that it was Helen Anthony’s New York Fashion Week debut, but because it was gender neutral, of course.
The fashion industry is evolving quickly, with significant changes in how designers make clothing and show their collections. This season’s shows saw brands like Gucci, JW Anderson and Balenciaga combining men’s and women’s runway shows, whereas they are traditionally shown separately (i.e. Men’s Fashion Week). Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele continued to blur gender lines with men in lace shirts and women in intricate tailoring.
Until recently, clothes wouldn’t be available until six months after they were shown, but many luxury brands are adopting the more modern “see now, buy now” model for their clothing instead. Some major brands, as Alexander Wang announced this year, are opting out of fashion week all together, either showing at different times of the year or going directly to the consumer.
Pre-Collections now seem antiquated, as does the use of fur. Leading labels, most notably Gucci this year, are taking a stand and banning fur, both because it’s inhumane and because top talents want to work at more progressive, fur-free companies.
But gender neutral fashion? It’s not really anything new. It’s something the fashion industry has flirted with since the 1960’s, and the appeal of it will always fluctuate. Why it’s evolving is what continues to change. If fashion evolved for women empowerment in the past, now it evolves to reflect our open-mindedness and acceptance of gender fluidity. People should wear whatever makes them feel their best.
Yves Saint Laurent introduced le smoking in 1966, a tuxedo for women, creating a new norm at a time where pants on women were deemed defiant and inappropriate. The tuxedo was later shot by Helmut Newton for Vogue Paris on an androgynous woman with slicked back hair, elevating it to icon status and helping define a new ‘sexy’. Pants, blazers, pea coats, and dress shirts became new wardrobe staples. Legendary music frontmen like David Bowie and Mick Jagger challenged gender norms in their embellished disco-like ensembles and glittery makeup.
When Diane von Furstenberg introduced her famous wrap dress in 1974 with its slit skirt and deep-V neck that highlighted the waist and women’s curves, pantsuits and gender-neutral clothing were put on the back burner for a bit, but they would be back. Then the ’90’s came around and gender lines were blurred once again, with the grungy androgynous look in style. Women wore combat boots with oversized flannels. Kurt Cobain performed on stage in everything from his wife’s babydoll dresses, leopard coats, pigtails, and retro women’s sunglasses, sparking a whole generation of men that borrowed from their girlfriends closets.
We’ve seen Marc Jacobs wear a number of dresses and skirts throughout the years, and now with the popularity of luxury street style and ‘ugly’ fashion, like Vetements and THOSE Balenciaga sneakers, it seems like gender-neutral clothing is having a moment again. It is easy to see the appeal; baggy sweatshirts are comfortable, sneakers are easier to get around in, belt bags are hands and hassle free. Unisex fashion will continue to come back around until clothes are simply just clothes, and it’s more about the garments themselves then who’s wearing them.
Only after the Helen Anthony show in February did I learn that the message of the designer was to bring humans together on a global scale, which is an idea I think all designers and consumers should strive for. It’s important to observe the changes in the industry, but we should stop letting gender stereotypes or lack thereof be the main narrative. Clothes are for everyone. Pink can be for boys and blue can be for girls, and at the end of the day, I can guarantee that men who choose to wear heels walk better in them than I can.
