Blurring the lines between men’s and women’s fashion, androgynous wear has been making waves throughout the world beginning from fashion weeks across Milan and trickling down to retail.
Given the hype and innate chicness the outfits entail, the latest fashion trend is now making its way onto the Pakistani fashion scene, But the question remains. Is Pakistani fashion ready to shed all inhibitions and go bold.
Androgynous fashion basically means a way of dressing that’s not a 100% masculine and neither a 100% femininethus, avoiding gender stereotypes. It doesn’t fit in the culturally determined characteristicsof either gender rather it removes any lines between the pre-defined fashion norms that state what a man or a woman should wear.
While the fashion genre may have started trending more recently as more people desire for inclusivity, androgynous fashion dates to decades ago with the most prominent example being the ‘Le Smoking Suit’ designed by Yves Saint Laurent in the 60s’. Similarly, Rolling Stones’ front man Mick Jagger’s ‘dress’ enabled the fashion to be widely adopted by celebrities and fans.
Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto whose collections largely advocate genderless fashion said in an interview, “Androgyny — it is an unbiased way for an individual to identify with one’s self and fashion is the perfect medium to achieve this.” His choice for ‘Androgyny’ word as a way to describe this new type of fashion, who challenges the social constructs around gender, makes him the father of androgynous fashion.
More recently, runway collections presented by various high-end fashion brands creatively embodied ‘boudaryless fashion’ as seen in Gucci’s Milan Fashion Week display earlier this year. Similarly, Haider Ackermann also presented an androgynous collection complete with kimonos, silk suits and statement jackets while Cyprus-based brand Tommazo has also debuted its genderless collection for FW20.
With the fashion trend gradually finding its way to the mainstream internationally, it’s only a matter of time till it makes its way down to the Pakistani fashion scene which however happens to remain restricted to solids tones, tried and tested cuts and an overall macho persona in men’s fashion.
Image courtesy: Tabesh Khoja/Published in Hello! Pakistan
Although several local brands have lately been experimenting with gender fluid fashion with names like Republic and Outfitters standing out, a recent editorial spread styled and visualised byTabesh Khoja has brought forward the idea of how fashion would look like in an androgynous world.
The trend-setting editorial shot by photographer Alee Hassan was featured in international publication Hello! Pakistan and starred model Sachal Afzal in a riveting new look. The model who has recently been seen in several fashion campaigns for leading brands can be spotted sporting a punk avatar with a messy fringe hairstyle and a clean shave that accentuate his slick jawline.
Image courtesy: Tabesh Khoja/Published in Hello! Pakistan
The grooming and makeup by Nabila salon (N-gents) further emphasised on the idea of fluidity and presented the model under a more gender neutral lightThe photoshoot reminds of some of the more prominent fashion trends from the 70s such as boot-legged, high-waist pants, and monochrome colour palettes —paying homage to styles made famous by the rockstars such as Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Prince.
Image courtesy: Tabesh Khoja/Published in Hello! Pakistan
However, with the sudden influx of designers, brands and stylists edging towards creating fashion that doesn’t conform to just one gender makes you sit and wonder if the local fashion scene is heading towards a more androgynous approach and if the same will be able to carve a niche for itself in a market where change isn’t adapted very easily.
