The idea of genderless fashion is not new and neither is men and women exchanging wardrobes and breaking from the traditional codes, but giving further impetus to ‘unisex fashion’ are celebrities who have taken it into mainstream. Though ‘boyfriend’ jeans have been a favourite in women’s wardrobe, but ‘girlfriend’ skirts are rarely seen, but this is set to change. From high-fashion designers to department store chains, everyone in retail is vying for gender-neutral fashion, which reflects a wider struggle for equality.

Considered a pioneer for genderless fashion, Rad Hourani, who launched his haute couture unisex label in 2007, showcases fashion that ignores age, gender and religion. Through his collection, his aim is to create garments that go beyond feminine and masculine nomenclature by dismantling structural differences between the sexes, resulting in luxurious unisex clothing, free of any standardized restrictions. Before launching his brand, he took a year to study human anatomy and develop patters that fit ‘all gender, forms and shapes’. Following Hourani’s examples are various high-fashion designers such as Gucci, Prada, Givenchy and Saint Laurent who are featuring both men and women in their fashion shows, with the models and clothing so similar that ‘guess the gender’ is fast becoming a favourite fashion pursuit. According to a recent report by Trendwatching.com, “People of all ages in all markets are constructing their own identities more freely than ever. As a result, consumption patterns are no longer defined by ‘traditional’ demographic segments such as age, gender, location, income, family status and more.”

Not just restricted to high-fashion, British Department store Selfridges has also launched ‘Agender,’ an experiential, gender-neutral pop-up that takes customers on a journey where they can choose to shop and dress without limitations or stereotypes. The ‘Agender’ project will feature clothing from gender-bending labels such as Comme des Garçons, Gareth Pugh and Ann Demeulemeester. “It is something that we have definitely seen coming for a while. It is no secret. It is out there and it is quite zeitgeist-y. The project will act as a test bed for experimentation around ideas of gender – both to allow our shoppers to approach the experience without preconceptions and for us as retailers to move the way we shop fashion forward,” informs Linda Hewson, Creative Director of Selfridges.

Currently, the gender-neutral fashion styles focus on menswear collections importing feminine styles such as the tennis dress at Raf Simons or suede skirt at JW Anderson. But the data collected by Selfridges shows that when it comes to shopping designed for the opposite sex, women are leading the way. “Although this trend translates to sales, it is largely driven by women buying men’s collections, rather than the other way round,” claims Guillaume Salmon, the Spokesperson for Parisian store Colette. It is important to move past the gendering of an item such as ‘boyfriend jeans’ and ‘man bags’ and towards clothing lines that offer gender-neutral collection that fit the needs and body type of both men and women. As more and more brands and designers are showcasing collections, slowly this territory is being conquered through softened masculine lines and no-frill feminine cuts.

Apart from the collections, the stores environment is also changing drastically to a neutral space to free it from the visual cues that guide consumers to where they should shop from. The space designed by Faye Toogood (who has collaborated with fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen and Comme des Garçons) for Selfridges store is complete with white canvas used as wrapping paper in order for shoppers not to feel labelled. Rather than displaying male and female mannequins, Selfridges will use photography, film and music to show the collections in a non-gender-specific way. “I am making a series of sculptures that are my take on a mannequin, but they are genderless in form. I managed to convince Selfridges that by bagging all of their product in white canvas, I am removing all visual merchandising, branding and any sense of demographic in terms of gender,” reveals Faye Toogood.

Like most cultural shifts, evolution in the fashion world often starts on the streets and on social media before making its way into the board rooms of fashion houses and onto the runways and into major retail stores. With ever-changing consumer preferences, the genderless fashion is appealing and relevant today as it eschews trends completely and is being used as a means of self-expression, which encourages the wearer to experiment with their personal style without being bound by the constraints of gender. “Retailers will need to change with the consumer, as they have already done outside of fashion. Kids and young adults today shop together no matter the gender. This clearly plays into fashion,” observes Marshal Cohen, Chief Industry Analyst at NPD, a market research firm.

Meanwhile, gender neutrality is enjoying its moments on the catwalk and is becoming a movement of change, having a ripple effect on retail as the shopping habits seem to change. Though with the shaking up of traditional notions of masculinity with dresses, skirts and shoulder baring tops, the future of menswear is looking more towards the feminine side. But the days of major retailers going genderless, beyond a short-lived pop-up, are still a long way to go. Nonetheless, the movement to go entirely gender-free, though small, but still is a significant step in the history of fashion.

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