Androgyny: more than a trend?
The purpose of fashion and art is to reflect the time we are living in, its changes and new directions, forms and essence in their true, raw sense. We have arrived at the point of our history when the lines between masculinity and femininity have blurred and the usual norms have started to evolve into something ephemeral and complex. No wonder that the androgynous trend is considered one of the most popular ones, but to one it may seem that it has appeared only recently and resembles just a mere wave of a trend. However, androgyny has a history and implies more than just unisex fashion.
It all started right before WWI when Luisa Capetillo, an activist, became the first woman who wore a man suit and tie in public. Elizabeth Smith Miller invented a completely new style “the bloomer” featuring unique female trousers. After the war, the world was blessed with Coco Chanel who is also at the origins of androgyny. She managed to combine femininity with the little black dress, cigarette pants and lipstick of the perfect pink color with the spirit of independence and female power. Chanel introduced belted jackets, clean collars and loose fabrics that gave women freedom of movement and to be whomever they wanted to be instead of chaining them in uncomfortable pieces.
I think it was not the case of “fashion” influencing the designer, it was the designer who felt the spirit of the time and gave the public what it needed so much and who shaped the industry for many years ahead. Later on, every decade will have its own “founding father” of androgyny, but Chanel was among the pioneers.
After the war and the growing suffragist movement, many things happened or took a twisted turn, but for fashion, liberation became a norm and it seemed like after Coco Chanel no one could shake things up. Even on the contrary, Christian Dior took the reins with his feminine dresses made of the finest fabrics, adorned with bows, organza, and draped in unimaginable forms. Was fashion moving backward to the conventional norms? I believe that the train of emancipation was so rapidly-moving that it was impossible to slow it down or take it off the rails so easily. That is why Yves Saint Laurent had such tremendous success. The time was different, after the second way of feminism, fashion was not the top priory for women, although it did not mean that the changes were not welcomed. I think it is quite ironic that Yves Saint Laurent started at Dior and later turned the world of fashion upside down with his extravagant approach. Androgyny trend took a new turn under his influence, finding its presence in the iconic, impeccably tailored Le smoking in 1966.
Inspired by menswear, it was a furor on the catwalk because until then women’s suit had been worn with skirts. I think, in terms of androgyny, Chanel was revolutionary in daily wear, but Yves Saint Laurent took it to the level of eveningwear that had always been more traditional regarding attire. His design found its reflection not only in fashion pieces but and in art. His Mondrian collection in 1965 was one of the most outstanding pieces in history.
Free off the shackles of restrictions of all kinds, YSL maison is the embodiment of gender fluidity. It is noticeable that despite the vanishing borders between the feminine and masculine the sheer-through blouses, pussy-bows tops and rough, hyperbolized jackets made (and still make) women even more feminine. This is the point that I would also like to address. I believe that it is not necessarily right to say androgyny excludes women or men, especially when its complexity highlights women’s delicate features and ignites their inner charm so much. The androgyny trend depicts women in their best form. Confidence dressed up in a well-fitted smoking can definitely compete with conventional extra-feminine trends.
The 1980s were commemorated by Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, who challenged the social norms around gender through fashion. However, it is crucial to mention that even with the gained popularity, the androgynous trend was not something that people accepted easily. Big brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Giorgio Armani started incorporating genderless fleur in their collections, but it was not until recently when the public adopted the trend widely.
Only in the early 2000s did the fashion media introduced masses the printed catalogs showcasing men wearing makeup and jewelry. It had been decades before it left the niche sector. It was about not only introducing men’s clothes for women, but also women’s clothes to men. Having researched the overviews of the fashion weeks for the past several years (from 2010 to 2020), I have noticed that despite the fact that YSL, Jean Paul Gaultier and Alexander McQueen had been using androgyny style long ago, Prada did it for the first time in 2010 introducing sharp, geometrical lines and subtle color palette. Only in 2015 the trend started to be discussed more vocally, and the runway saw the creations of the new Gucci and Rick Owens. Balenciaga, that is impossible to imagine without masculine forms now, has introduced its take on androgyny only recently in 2017. Even its 2015 looks more traditional than what they are doing now. One of the possible reasons of this change is the growing demand for gender-neutral clothes. As our society becomes more open to LGBTQ+ community, less biased to creativity and accepting of individuality (the shift of political paradigms at the beginning of the XXI century has made an enormous contribution to it as well), more designers adapt androgyny trend.
The choice in favor of androgyny not only differentiates the collections by attracting sales from all genders but also satisfies the cultural demand for unisex clothes. The quintessence of media influence and the growing popularity of this trend among designers spark interest in consumers. Androgyny is nice and fun to play with it. It becomes putty in the hands of anyone who takes it, making it easier to create outfits that are unique. Is not it one of the main purposes of fashion? This is particularly important for today’s generation of Gen Zs and millennials that want to stand out, erase the borders between conventional norms and be open, rebellious, and highly individualistic. If during previous generations the choice for androgynous clothes was more popular among women since they were more restricted in their choices for years, now things are changing, gravitating to men’s side. If before there were only several male celebrities who had a penchant for androgyny (e.g. David Bowie, Elvis Presley), in today’s word there are numerous artists who embody this trend. Harry Styles, the face of Gucci, is a perfect example of it. Alessandro Michele designed all his outfits for the latest music video featuring sheer blouses with ruffles, intricate jackets and iconic Gucci loafers. Even on his Vogue cover, the artist is wearing Gucci jacket and white dress adorned with black lacy edge. Palomo Spain goes as far as dressing their male models in tulle and organza, creating absolutely ethereal looks.
It might seem that androgyny fashion is mostly local, only now reaching a wider audience, but if we look at Scandinavian countries, we will notice that it is the trend of the whole region. Its style can be described as minimalist, chic, and genderless. It is the latter component makes it look premium, the straight cuts and geometric silhouettes bring class and sophistication. No wonder that after Scandinavian fashion got exposed to the rest of the fashion world, such brands as Acne Studios and Ganni came in the spotlight. Ditte Reffstrup, the creative director of Ganni sees their success deriving from the contrasts of pairing feminine pieces with denim and leather. Now there is an entire cult of looking effortless and chic at the same time, playing with styles and textures among their customers.
What do you think of androgynous fashion?
