Maison Margiela
men’s tuxedo
jacket, $1,540,
and pants, $650,
from http://www.
stylebop.com.Inside the halls of Selfridges in London,
the dissemination of this idea is in action.
Its new pop-up retail project Agender,
which launched earlier this year, sells non-
gender-specific clothing. Selfridges isn’t
alone. Fifteen years ago, J.Crew closed its
unisex division, but today the climate is
ripe for a resurrection. “We’re coming back
to a symbiotic space,” says creative director
Jenna Lyons. “We combined our men’s
and women’s models on the catwalks
this season because so many looks
felt connected.”
In 2005, women were out secretly
shopping Hedi Slimane’s Petite Taille
men’s collection at Dior; flash-forward to
today and the biker jackets and boots
he’s designed at Saint Laurent are for her
andhim.BrandssuchasGivenchyand
Burberry Prorsum are producing versions
of the same styles for both sexes on its
runways,whilecannywomenareshopping
menswear stores for strategic pieces: those
giant scarves from Loewe, Church’s black
lace-ups,NeilBarrettdouble-breasted
overcoats, and T-shirts by Sandro Homme.
It’s an anything-goes attitude, one that
model–andnowdesigner–AgynessDeyn
is inspired by for her new line, Title A.
“I’m interested in taking men’s shapes and
translatingthemintowomenswear,”she
says.“Yes,therewillalwaysbethe
woman who wants a bodycon dress, but
there’salsoacertaintypewhocraves
another definition of sexy.” It’s easy for a
modeltowaxlyricalabouthowapairof
wide-leg grey flannel trousers can look
assexyasathigh-skimmingLBD.But
shehasapointwhenitcomestotheallure
of not trying too hard.
However flexible our perceptions of
gender and fashion become, our bodies
will always be different. (Let’s not even get
intopandrogyny,thoughit’sworthnoting
thesoundtracktoPrada’sspring/summer
’15womenswearshowwasborrowedfrom
The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye,
a film about a couple who undergo sexual
surgeryinanattempttomergeinto
one being.)
Thisshiftinshoppingisn’tforallwomen,
butwhatwedoknowisthatourviewson
what is sexy and what feels good will
oscillate through the years, just as our
hemlines have done. “The other day I got
aletterfromanine-year-oldgirl,”begins
Lyons, “she said she shopped with us but
wasatomboyanddidn’tlikethesparkly
stuff.Sheaskedifwecoulddosomething
thatwasn’tforboysorgirls,butforboth.”
Now, that really is a voice of the future.THE TUXEDO
SEE YOURSELF STRIDING
OUT TO YOUR NEXT EVENT
IN A MONOCHROMATIC
SUIT, SHIRT AND NECKPIECE.
THE FORMALITY OF
THE CODE HAS ALWAYS
BEEN RIPE FOR RE-
CONTEXTUALISATION.
Balmain tuxedo
dress, $4,630,
from http://www.
stylebop.com.Christian Dior
shoes, $850.▲A tuxedo
fitting in
London’s Savile
Row, 1930.Gucci bow tie,
$160, and Saint
Laurent shirt,
$695, both
from http://www.
mrporter.com.CHRISTIAN DIOR HOMME A/W ’15SAINT LAURENT S/S ’15VOGUE.COM.AU – 57ADDITIONAL WORDS: ALICE BIRRELL STYLISTS: PHILIPPA MORONEY MONIQUE SANTOSPHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES ALL PRICES APPROXIMATE DETAILS LAST PAGES