Non-Binary Fashion: Is the future fluid?
BY MORGAN COLLINS
The future of fashion is fluid but are brands exploiting the identities of gender non-conforming people?
For anyone interested in fashion, you will know that the gender fluid clothing movement has for sure taken the industry by storm in the last five years. Pioneered by Alessandro Michele at Gucci and pedalled by celebrities like Harry Styles, Ruby Rose, and Sam Smith; dressing in a gender fluid way is becoming more prevalent year on year. However, is showing androgynous clothes on the runway enough for a brand to do to stand in the support of gender non-conforming people? Or are these brands jumping on the trend for a catchy headline?
Gucci for sure are the leaders in this shift toward gender neutral clothing, Alessandro Michele is the brand’s Creative Director and for a long time, has ignored gender stereotypes in his oeuvre. The brand has consistently shown men in womenswear and women in menswear and makes us ask the question as to whether there is a need to give clothing a gender at all?
In 2019, the brand released a short film at the Sundance Festival entitled ‘The Future is Fluid’ in which 13 individuals across the globe were able to share their experience of gender and gender expression. Gucci’s shops also do not tend to stick to gender in terms of store layout with men’s and womenswear to be found on the same clothing rack. Gucci’s voice within the gender fluid space certainly seems to be the loudest and the steps that Gucci have taken within their business are definitely encouraging.
However, Gucci like most brands is not perfect. The brand has worked a lot with celebrity Harry Styles, and has dressed him for the Met Gala and numerous performances. Harry Styles is for sure a great example of a modern man but it would be great to see Gucci work with more non-binary and gender non-conforming people in the same way. This would cement the brand’s diversity and be a crucial step in becoming an ally to the gender non-conforming community.
Whilst Gucci is perhaps the most known brand for caring little about gender binaries, it is important to remember that there are other brands doing the same.
Telfar is a brand that describe themselves as unisex, their slogan is ‘it’s not for you – it’s for everyone’ and truly focus on diversity in the running of the label.
Loverboy by Charles Jeffrey is another brand to have on the radar in terms of gender neutrality. The Scottish designer is heavily influenced by Club Kid culture and designs clothes for people - not genders. There are many similar ‘unisex’ or ‘gender-neutral’ brands emerging year on year and it is truly heartening to see.
Nevertheless, there are certainly several brands who seem to see gender fluidity as a trend to profit off. In 2016, Zara launched a sixteen-piece gender-neutral collection off the back of the gender fluid movement in fashion. The collection felt very uninspiring, the clothes were only in shades of black, beige and grey and only included basic pieces of clothing like jeans and hoodies. They failed to capture what the movement stands for; which is to normalise and celebrate dressing in the way you want - regardless of gender norms. Instead, Zara produced a collection that was plain enough to pass as men’s or womenswear, and in my opinion, the move felt out of touch and very performative.
The important thing to remember when it comes to gender fluid fashion is that there is not one set look; dressing in a gender non-conformist way manifests itself differently for different people. The likes of Harry Styles and Ezra Miller are not the archetype for the way in which gender non-conforming people dress - there is no one archetype. Yes, these people are great examples for those who experiment with their gender expression, but they are by no means the only ones doing it.
Others to check out on Instagram are Alok Vaid-Menon (@alokvmenon), Jamie Windust (@jamie_windust) and Trinity Bree (@trinitytaylorbree) to name a few.
To answer the original question: are brands exploiting the identities of gender non-conforming people for publicity and monetary gain, the answer is murky. Certainly, many brands are doing nothing to stand in solidarity with gender non-conforming people; the industry certainly has got a long way to go. However, it can’t be denied that lots of brands are making positive headway in diversity and when it comes to non-binary inclusion. Reassuringly, my research has left me feeling optimistic for a future where clothing has no gender.
This year’s FUZE is in aid of two charities: ArtRefuge and Black South West Network.
