BALENCIAGA, ALEXANDER WANG, AND A HOST OF OTHER HOUSES ARE NOT JUST MIMICKING GENDER BENDS OF THE ’70s AND ’90s, BUT ARE MAKING GENDER IRRELEVANT ENTIRELY. HOW TO EMBRACE THE BEST OF THIS FASCINATING NEW TREND

BY TIFFANY PRESS

Before their prestigious womens wear posts at Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, Hedi Slimane and Raf Simons garnered a reputation as menswear designers whom women bought in bulk—not least because of their ability to design for men without restrictions in tailoring, mood, purpose, or styling. There was also no irony to this menswear when worn by women—they were simply incredible pieces of clothing. Now, we are seeing more “womenswear” designers embracing the idea of designing high-quality, malleable separates that work the same magic on men as they do on ladies.

A recent example is the appointment of Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga, from whom we will be seeing more interpretations of gender _ ex…and this fall, Alexander Wang sent tuxedo-style pea coats and oversized leather trenches (one seen here) down the runway.

Androgyny in fashion is anything but new, of course, but what fuels the current state of gendernon- specificity is all in the details. The latest objective is not to look like the opposite sex, but rather to wear individual pieces that have such strong, malleable personality of their own that the gender of the wearer is simply irrelevant.

The natural ruggedness of leather, hardware, and old school denim are perfect for masculine sensibilities, but a consideration to keep in mind when embracing neutrality is the importance of form. The piece should be equally masculine on a woman as it is on a man. Chic fluidity should imply the ability to oscillate between traditional male and female norms without appearing obvious or ironic. Allow individual pieces speak on their own, and let them speak the same language they would to the other gender. An oversized double-breasted blazer, for example, should not only be loose and boundless on a woman, it should have the same feel on a man. Rethink, too, the “boyfriend sweater;” instead of wearing one that implies you threw on something in your boyfriend’s closet, look for designs that are more difficult to classify. The possibilities are endless.