Skirting The Issue

This Season, Designers Are Breaking Down The Final Gender Barrier In Fashion.

- Jeffrey Yan

Genderlessness in fashion isn’t a new concept—it entered the contemporary fashion discourse when Alessandro Michele made his debut at Gucci. What is new is that this season, the look is not so much gender neutral as it is distinctly feminine, in the sense that it borrows heavily from the last remaining trope of conventional womenswear. The subversion of gender in menswear is no longer just about a little pussybow here and some lace there; this season, we’re seeing full-on skirts and dresses—the effect of which is amplified even further when shown on models who present as male instead of non-binary. And where the conventions of gender was once an issue explored only by a handful of designers—most of them on the cutting edge of the fashion spectrum—this season, even the most established names and biggest brands are adding their considerable voices to the conversation.