How Genderless Design Is Taking Over Fashion

One theme emerged from New York’s Fashion Week: “a future of fashion that appears largely absent of gender constructs.” As one brand reminded the media, “fashion is simply meant to exist as a vehicle for self-expression.” For more and more people, that self expression no longer includes the rigid rules around gender-based choices that it once did.

Fashion shows usually demonstrate the extremes of what people might wear ... and as a result they can feel out of touch for anyone who doesn’t work in the fashion industry. Who would really wear these crazy shirts with 10 foot wings or a see-through tank top? Yet the point of these designs isn’t to demonstrate what we will all be wearing ... but rather the edge of what’s possible. It’s intentionally extreme.

As a result, the creations move our culture just a little bit away from what we know. If you identify as male, you probably won’t start wearing mini-skirts and spandex tomorrow. But your comfort with wearing jewelry or a pink shirt or making another fashion choice that might have seemed feminine just a generation ago is because of the effect of these fashion pioneers.