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Gender-fluid Fashion Recasts Store Displays - 'De-Departmentalise' Department Stores " - 

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Gender-fluid Fashion Recasts Store Displays - 'De-Departmentalise' Department Stores " - 

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Department stores are looking for new ways to organise shop floor after gender-fluid has swept the runaways. Bringing a new challenge for an industry built along traditional boundaries. Galleries Lafayette and Printemps are both working towards gender-neutral setup, each at its own pace. They are looking into how to 'departmentalise' department stores which traditionally tend to have a very compartmented approach, although they seek to keep a practical layout for clients, they aim to create areas in the store that are less compartmentalised. This involves all the categories of products looking at how to bring an inclusive approach for all customer's shopping experience.
Article: https://search.proquest.com/docview/2319663044?accountid=13380&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo

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Zara’s new gender-neutral line is something else

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Zara’s new gender-neutral line is something else

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This week, the fast-fashion giant launched a unisex clothing line under TRF, the company’s young, hip label. Clothes for human beings, not based on gender or preconceived stereotypes of any kind.
Altering the fashion landscape is something Zara has been working at for years now, mimicking expensive runway fashion, and making it instantly available to the masses for a fraction of the price.

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Forget "boyfriend jeans." According to Zara's new Ungendered clothing line, that loose-fitting denim you love to wear on the weekend is now simply known as "jeans." Refreshing, right?

This week, the fast-fashion giant launched a unisex clothing line under TRF, the company's young, hip label. Clothes for human beings, not based on gender or preconceived stereotypes of any kind.

Altering the fashion landscape is something Zara has been working at for years now, mimicking expensive runway fashion, and making it instantly available to the masses for a fraction of the price.

The new 16-item collection consists of comfortable, cotton and cotton-blend basics, like Heather grey hoodies (yes, please), drawstring Bermuda shorts (we are obsessed), long-sleeved crewneck tops (so handy), and easy-to-layer tanks (can you ever really have enough?).

Price points for the line are ultra competitive, too. All 16 pieces are under $50, and available both online and in stores.

While Zara's Ungendered line isn't earth shatteringly original (brands like American Apparel have offered androgynous pieces for years now), it is impressive to see a massive global corporation take a stand and introduce sexless clothes.

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Zara's new gender-neutral line is something else

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Forget "boyfriend jeans." According to Zara's new Ungendered clothing line, that loose-fitting denim you love to wear on the weekend is now simply known as "jeans." Refreshing, right? This week, the fast-fashion giant launched a unisex clothing line under TRF, the company's young, hip label.

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What fashion needs to understand about being gender neutral. 

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What fashion needs to understand about being gender neutral. 

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Gender expression is something that is being vastly explored and expressed through the erosion of traditional gender concepts.

Many designers are jumping on the bandwagon of creating gender neutral lines but it is clear that their concept of gender neutral lacks depth and nuance i.e. Zara & H&M. when in store their is still separation between menswear and womenswear, there is a lack of fluidity throughout their ideas. This forces the individualise to categorise themselves within a boundary they don't identify. retailers implicate menswear is for everyone (gender neutral) but womenswear is only applicable to women.

It is understood that this contributes to less of a movement towards increase equality. Therefore masculinity becomes more of a standard but femininity becomes invalid.

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Over the course of the last year, conversations surrounding gender expression have gained considerable momentum, as the line between the traditional male and female binaries grow increasingly blurred and the cultural landscape begins to shift.

These conversations haven't been lost on the fashion industry. Identifying as gender-neutral myself, I've been flooded with excitement to see more and more designers choosing to create gender neutral lines. But though the topic is now, at least, on the table, what's actually happening on a practical level is a far cry from where things need to be. I recently went shopping with a female-identifying friend. Upon entering the store (which has more of a progressive reputation than most) a row of models physically separated menswear from womenswear - when she went left, I went right. Gone was our shared shopping experience.

Given a positive slant, fashion's burgeoning acceptance of gender fluidity does show promise. But for the most part, the conversation lacks depth and nuance when it comes to tilting the binary. Over the last few years, a number of high-end and high street brands have entered into the market seeking to cater for gender neutral customers, and the 2018 nominees were credited for "treading a unisex line" according to Where the likes of Charles Jeffrey, 69US, and Eckhaus Latta show a natural propensity toward gender neutrality within their collections, others joining the movement show less consideration as to what a move like that actually means.

H&M and Zara, for example, have both presented 'gender neutral' offerings of hoodies, sweatshirts and t-shirts designed for both men and women. But while their intentions may have been positive, each collection was merchandised either within the menswear or womenswear section of both stores, meaning gender neutral customers still had to make a decision as to which to head for. For the most part, my rejection of the male-female fashion dichotomy means heading straight to the menswear section, and all the old signposts still mark my decision. Despite brands' efforts, I'm not able to make purchases without physically (or digitally) placing myself within one category or the other. As with the history of medicine, signposts, and even language, it's that which is male which is seen as 'neutral'.

Past that first hurdle, comes a second obstacle: from the selection of styles on offer, I face choices that may fit my gender presentation, but won't fit my body. I was born female, identify as gender neutral, and wear menswear. Is it really that revolutionary for me to wear trousers and muted colours? Why does the fashion industry assume I'm breaking convention rather that choosing a desired ambivalence?

And while I don't want to downplay the merits of clothing lines that advocate for girls who don't want to wear pink, on the other end of the spectrum, there is little done to acknowledge those born male who do not wish to only wear menswear. Gender neutral does not mean 'without any traditional female signifiers', as most retailers seem to believe. Girls clothes appear exclusively for girls, but boys clothes are for everyone: the silent but apparent contradiction that undermines fashion fluidity becomes obvious under minor scrutiny. Why can't dresses and skirts be gender neutral too?

"Gender neutral does not mean 'without any traditional female signifiers', as most retailers seem to believe"

For the most part, brands are not pushing current definitions of gender expression. Instead, we see traditional men's styles presented as a blanket statement which capitalise on existing social movements and the political consciousness of consumers. It's a pattern that both excludes and insults the non-binary, transgender, and non-conforming individuals that brands have the opportunity to appeal to. At the moment, the emergence of gender neutral lines that are literally just menswear feel like less of a move towards increased equality, and more an indication of ambient cultural misogyny - ideas that femininity is invalid and masculinity is standard.

Where the likes of H&M and Zara's endeavours into gender fluid or neutral offerings failed, there are some doing things right, though. Phluid Project, which opened in New York recently, is the city's first dedicated space that displays gender neutral clothing in a manner that rejects the male-female binary. Elsewhere, in 2017, British department store John Lewis made the move to stop explicitly labelling their childrenswear for boys or girls, offering hope for structural change that goes well beyond other seemingly trend-jumping efforts.

Still, as a non-binary person who strives to wear clothes without regard to gender, I still don't feel represented. I want variety, not a one-sided bargain. Jeans should not be the only immediately comfortable garment I own, and if jeans can be gender-neutral, then what is the cultural roadblock that prevents skirts from receiving the same treatment? What rules do we need to break to upend masculine and feminine ideologies? Dresses and heels can be for everyone. We need the potential beauty of gender expression to transcend currently inescapable norms and conventions.

So how would these actually gender-neutral ranges work? Accepting gender fluidity, designs must account for the variety of body types related to assigned sex; gender neutral clothing needs to fit all shapes. Size ranges should expand to accommodate body shape, comparable to waist and leg length when purchasing jeans. Gender Free World, for example, has created their own sizing method which completely eradicates the need for numbers: instead, it consists of a series of names that correspond to different body types. SK Manor Hill has drawstrings on all their trousers to accommodate its customers' varying shapes, while Seeker solves the fitting problem with elastic waistbands and two ways to fasten - a tie or a button. Elsewhere, the black and queer-owned Kris Harring blends masculine and feminine design elements in a culturally necessary manner.

"Jeans should not be the only immediately comfortable garment I own, and if jeans can be gender-neutral, then what is the cultural roadblock that prevents skirts from receiving the same treatment?"

Such diversity and customisation should not remain limited to a small, exclusive, and often expensive, range of labels, though. By attempting to sell gender neutral fashion, the industry fails to promote diversity in a way that invites productive conversation about gender expression. We need to hold fashion brands accountable for their role in the contemporary curation of gender.

According to a study by GLAAD, 12 per cent of young people now identify as something other than cisgender, meaning that increased representation is non-negotiable. To move forward from here, non-binary individuals need to be present for all steps of the design and production process, both of garments and retail spaces. If my body doesn't fit into existing style categories, then I need to be able to help make the new criteria. To refuse such choice pushes me back to where I started, and forces me to continue making a decision between two mannequins that mean nothing to me. There are no two ways about it. It's time the wider fashion industry cemented their commitment to designing for our new, real, and widening-gendered world.

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What fashion needs to understand about being gender neutral

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Over the course of the last year, conversations surrounding gender expression have gained considerable momentum, as the line between the traditional male and female binaries grow increasingly blurred and the cultural landscape begins to shift. These conversations haven't been lost on the fashion industry.

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The future is fluid as labels sign up for gender-free fashion

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The future is fluid as labels sign up for gender-free fashion

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In “The future is fluid as labels sign up for gender-free fashion,” Priya Elan explains that some brands and designers are doing gender- neutral lines as this could be the future fashion. Priya supports this view by pointing out that pop stars like Rihanna whose shared on Instagram an image for herself wearing a t-shirt from Art school. He notes that Art School describes itself on Instagram as “a non-binary queer luxury label”. In addition, Priya points out that some bloggers in fashion trying to change the idea of gender fluidity as a trend. Instead of that, try to ensure that people in the queer community are given all their rights and security.

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/nov/16/generation-z-signs-up-to-non-binary-catwalk-revolution

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https://commetric.com/2019/08/26/gender-neutral-fashion-a-millennial-whim-or-a-trend-to-stay/

Gender-Neutral Fashion: A Millennial Whim or a Trend to Stay?

This article talks about how big fashion brands are branching out to be more gender-neutral but in a more capitalistic and business approach rather than progression. Commetirc mentions the expression "a seismic shift", a term that is common within media reports and "analyses into the accelerating gender-neutral trend in the fashion industry." (Commetric, 2019). Since the majority of millenials know well in terms of the gender spectrums, these big fashion brands try to advertise towards this generation and use gender neutrality as a trend rather than applying to be a norm in fashion, especially in high-end fashion departments.

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Vogue Article: Gender Neutrality Becomes Fashion Reality (Naveena)

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Vogue Article: Gender Neutrality Becomes Fashion Reality (Naveena)

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https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/gender-neutrality-becomes-fashion-reality

The vogue article stated the concept of ‘gender neutral’ has grown fast and nowadays fashion labels focus on producing clothes that cater to both men and women. Vogue defines the term as “as a deliberate approach of different sexes to make themselves appear similar, or at least not to be defined by clothes that signal a rigid binary view of gender. Designers have now labelled their collections based on gender neutrality such as: Open: Beyond Genders. Even women based designers such as Zac Posen is starting to push gender neutral looks further forward for both men and women.

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Gender-Neutral Fashion: A Millennial Whim or a Trend to Stay (Tung-Yun Chang)

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Gender-Neutral Fashion: A Millennial Whim or a Trend to Stay (Tung-Yun Chang)

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The fashion industry is presenting gender-neutral clothing as a stylish development while highlighting the social function. The expression "a seismic shift" is employed in media reports and analyses into the accelerating gender-neutral trend in the fashion industry. It was set to revolutionise the way we see and wear clothes. Gucci was the most prominent brand for  promoting gender-neutral fashion and combine menswear and womenswear runway shows. They try to reframed their narratives to attract clients from Generation Z and millennials. They are perceived to be the most important retail customers.
https://commetric.com/2019/08/26/gender-neutral-fashion-a-millennial-whim-or-a-trend-to-stay/

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The article in Teen Vogue, reveals the new Adidas x IVY PARK collection to be gender neutral. The article speaks positively about the movement taking place by Beyoncé as they quote she says, "[the campaign] includes something for everyone. I [Beyoncé] love experimenting with fashion… even masculine and feminine. This new line is fun and lends itself to creativity, the ultimate power. I focused on designing a unisex collection." However, the article does point out to their readers that there has there has been criticism that some brands collections sometimes appear more “boy-ish” than truly gender-neutral. Though, they are excited for Beyoncé to change this and make an impact in the gender-neutral fashion movement.
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/beyonce-ivy-park-adidas-collection-gender-neutral

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https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/the-meaning-of-gender-fluid-fashion

The designing of gender-fluid fashion is coming from the binary view of cis designers. Ignores the experiences and identities of gender-diverse people. LGBTQ+ designers creating collections embedded in queer identity, working within the community and having queer people involved in the process.

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Alexandra Myers – 'There's More At Stake With Fashion's Gender-Fluid Movement Than You Realise' (Vogue, 2019)

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Alexandra Myers – 'There's More At Stake With Fashion's Gender-Fluid Movement Than You Realise' (Vogue, 2019)

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We are currently experiencing an unprecedented period of gender upheaval wherein "traditional expectations of gendered dress are being blended, blurred, and even reimagined". The article observes terms thrown around the industry which highlight this 'trend', such as:

"Gender-bending is fashion's future"

"Binary busting pieces are an antidote to toxic masculinity"

"There is a'disruptive potential' of each gender wearing what they 'shouldn't'"

In addition, more brands are thinking critically, publicly, and creatively about their relationship to gender.

Furthermore, gender bending fashion has a history that exists way before the 21st century, however, today's fixation with fluidity appears different – far more 'substantial and politically engaged'. Further,  there is a growing awareness and sensitivity to the people of whom gender is not merely a style, but an identity, such as the experiences of trans and gender non-conforming individuals.  The author of the article  questions the bigger picture, concept of queerness/gender-fluid movement rendered to serve commercial purpose – "if it is to earn a fraction of the political potency it has already seemed to claim for itself, the industry must not only continue to employ and celebrate its trans&gnc members, but also make a more substantial investment in the lives – and not simply the looks – of the broader trans&gnc community."

“This is not just fashion,” says Pierre Davis. “This is a lifestyle and it needs to be taken seriously.”

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Ever since Jaden Smith wore that Louis Vuitton skirt, I've read more articles about fashion's so-called "gender-fluid movement" than I can count. I've read listicles that proclaim gender-bending style as fashion's future, interviews in which designers proudly describe their binary-busting bona fides, op-eds pointing to gender fluidity as an antidote to toxic masculinity, as well as plenty of reviews playfully hailing the disruptive potential of men wearing this and women wearing that. Having read enough of these pieces, it would seem we are living in an unprecedented period of gender upheaval, a time when traditional expectations of what constitutes men's and women's dress are being blended, blurred, even reimagined altogether. Of course, this isn't entirely the case.
Read more: Laverne Cox Is British Vogue's First Trans Cover Star
What we now call gender-bending fashion has existed as long as there have been gender norms to bend - which is to say long, long before Jaden's 2016 moment. Yet, even if not necessarily new, something about today's fixation with fluidity feels different - at once more substantial and politically engaged. More than ever, the gender-bending we've grown accustomed to seeing on the runway is accompanied by a growing awareness of and sensitivity to the experiences of trans and gender non-conforming (trans&gnc) individuals - people for whom the bending of gender is not merely a style, but an identity.

In fact, I identify as such a person; more specifically, as non-binary and transfeminine, terms I've chosen to describe myself as someone who generally presents more femme, though prefers not to locate their selfhood in terms of the traditional male/female divide. Because fashion has always been one of the most useful tools for carving a space for myself to experiment with my identity, I've been thrilled to see more brands thinking critically, publicly, and creatively about their relationship to gender. But, as with any instance in which queerness is rendered to serve commercial purposes, I've wondered: What's at stake? And what might be gained for my community through mainstream fashion's involvement in the larger cultural "gender-fluid movement"?

To answer this question, I spoke to some of the most influential queer and trans&gnc folks in fashion, including Pierre Davis of No Sesso, Eden Loweth of Art School, Charles Jeffrey of Loverboy, model and activist Munroe Bergdorf, actor Ezra Miller, and model and actress Ava Grey. Through these conversations, the first thing that became clear was the need to distinguish gender-fluid fashion from what is often called gender-neutral, androgynous, or unisex fashion. Where the latter aims to disrupt established norms through dull, often billowing garments meant to transcend suits and skirts, the former strives toward the same goal by disentangling the normative association between skirts and women, suits and men.

As for the extent to which gender-fluid versus gender-neutral fashion benefits the trans&gnc community, there's really no competition. Gender-neutral fashion, even if well-intentioned, almost immediately wilts as a means of furthering a progressive gender politics. To collapse gender expression into a wash of baggy black jumpers inevitably overlooks trans people who wear skirts and suits to affirm their identities. As Ezra Miller tells me: "Gender itself is not our enemy and it will never really be over because it's a vital aspect of existence... but if you want it, we can see a world in which we are liberated from the bonds of it and nourished by the joys and beauty of it." The point, then, is not to act as if gender doesn't exist, but rather to reorient ourselves toward embracing the myriad and beautiful ways in which it does.

According to model and trans activist, Ava Grey, one way the gender-fluid movement in fashion could help our culture engage this necessary reorientation is through emboldening more trans&gnc representation. "When queer-identifying youth see queer representation on the runway and in media, we become symbols of hope for them," says Grey. "We show them lives that have been able to move past the constant bullying and negative statistics."

Echoing the appeal to the benefits of increased representation is Charles Jeffrey, designer of the fearlessly avant-garde label, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy. Jeffrey, who doesn't identify as trans himself, nevertheless brings to his work one of the most ruthless attitudes toward binary definitions of gender in current design. "I think the positives of a bigger global conversation about gender outweigh any negatives," he told me via email, adding: "From what I've seen in culture, in and outside of fashion, there's indisputably more diversity, inclusivity and also information about trans and gender-non-confirming people. It's real - real people, being able to give themselves their own platform to communicate their journeys."

But as Munroe Bergdorf points out, trans-inclusive casting is just the beginning. "What we need to be doing is making sure that fashion is as inclusive behind the scenes as it is in front of the camera or on the runway." According to Bergdorf (who recently founded GODDESS, an online platform geared toward community building among women, trans and non-binary folks, and people who are intersex) ensuring that the recent mainstream interest in gender fluidity outlives its trendy status requires an appreciation that "trans people are more than just trans and can be part of a team, can be part of a project without their transness being the focal point, or even an issue for other people".

Even while creating opportunities for greater representation, large companies' involvement in today's gender-fluid movement risks overshadowing the work of more authentic, more community-oriented labels. Art School's Eden Loweth goes so far as to contend that there are two gender-fluid movements: one constituted by the bandwagon-hopping large and small houses, and another composed of labels like their own, or Davis's No Sesso, brands that emerged from the trans&gnc community and involve them from the studio, to the runway, to the store.

For Loweth, gender-fluid fashion is anything but a trend. It's their work. It's also their life. It is about honoring and supporting their community, not, as they tell me, "monetizing something that is almost day-to-day hate for people like me on the streets. When I moved to London, trans women were a major force in my life that really protected me as quite a naïve young person living in a really big city," they add. "Having those women involved in the actual process of us doing fittings is so informative, because they all have their own requirements. Their bodies are changing almost daily if they're on hormone treatment, and that's the basis of where we started working out what we wanted to do."
Read more: "She Was Our Seer, Our Oracle, Our Liberator": Writer Kuchenga Pays Tribute To Toni Morrison
The effect of this authentic approach is clearest in the clothes, according to Munroe Bergdorf, who's walked for Art School and has joined the designers in advocating for a non-binary option on official British documentation. "It's more about the wearer and making sure that the clothing fits the body, not the body fits the clothes," she says of the label. "Usually a dress would be made on a body to fit a mannequin essentially. And that's why a lot of models look the same," Bergdorf explains. "But they've taken into consideration the differences of trans bodies."

It is this level of concern - not only for how the clothes look, but also for what they mean to a wearer - that often seems lost on brands from Zara to Thom Browne, companies whose forays into questions of gender expression and identity pierce no deeper than a collection of wearable picnic blankets, or runway shows that present gender fluidity as the stuff of the avant-garde rather than the everyday. "Are these brands donating to these communities that inspire their runways?" No Sesso's Pierre Davis asks, underscoring the opportunistic relationship between labels that benefit from the illusion of progressive politics without more robustly supporting the communities that influence their designs. "A lot of these big brands say that they're designing gender-friendly clothing, but the margin that's able to buy these pieces is just rich people," she continues.

And that's assuming these brands intend to sell their more gender fluid pieces at all. Of course, the runway has always been a place for experimentation, yet there's certainly something disingenuous when brands show collections that refute the binary before selling their clothes within the same divisive categories of men's and womenswear that they've used for years. "For brands that want to almost use gender as a way of being provocative or exciting and contemporary, they're not actually talking about the issues that matter," says Bergdorf. "They're taking the top line, which is trend, and not speaking about the realities, which is not fabulous all the time. It's not fashion all the time. It's survival."
Read more: Christy Turlington Burns On How To Become A (Quiet, But Devastatingly Effective) Activist
Bergdorf is right. According to Stonewall, more than four in five trans youth have endured verbal abuse; three in five have endured threatening behavior; and nearly 40 per cent have experienced physical assault. In many ways, to be trans in the world today is to live in danger and, understandably, in fear - a truth that strikes a sour note when told against the backdrop of a fashion industry that encourages pushing gendered boundaries without more robustly speaking out regarding the pervasive dangers associated with doing so. Indeed, one of the more concerning aspects of the fashion industry's involvement in the gender-fluid movement is its propensity for conflating expression and identity, erasing trans&gnc people who don't, or can't, express their authentic selves safely.

Mainstream fashion's involvement in today's gender-fluid movement has no doubt helped expand countless people's perception of how men and women can dress. It has even exposed the public to a fuller picture of the whole constellation of genders with which one might identify. But if it is to earn a fraction of the political potency it has already seemed to claim for itself, the industry must not only continue to employ and celebrate its trans&gnc members, but also make a more substantial investment in the lives - and not simply the looks - of the broader trans&gnc community. "This is not just fashion," says Pierre Davis. "This is a lifestyle and it needs to be taken seriously."
More from British Vogue:

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There's More At Stake With Fashion's Gender-Fluid Movement Than You Realise

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"The industry must make a more substantial investment in the lives - and not simply the looks - of the broader trans&gnc community," says Wren Sanders

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Gucci's gender neutral fragrance campaign.
- In modern society, celebrities aren't scared to come out as gender fluid and express themselves in gender neutral clothing and accessories. They have helped break boundaries regarding what is seen as feminine and masculine and challenging social normalities by wearing clothes that aren’t usually associated with their gender. In accordance to Gucci's new fragrance campaign, it has been labelled as "the fashion house’s first universal, unisex fragrance". Harris Reed, one of Gucci's upcoming designers, was a part of the campaign and states "it was all about a complete and utter sense of inclusivity and pushing what it means to be an individual and be different in 2019". Gucci as a company, has always been known to push clothing and stereotypes to the limits and continues to create a brand identity through those beliefs. By also using Harry Styles as the leading man in the campaign, they address the idea of "Who cares about sexuality" which he has stated multiple times when questioned. Harry’s androgynous style brought another level of gender fluidity as his ideas of fashion and what wears in public has changed dramatically.

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The definition of gender identification and what it means to be feminine or masculine has certainly changed overtime. These specific terms have allowed people to truly be themselves and allow for self-expression, whether that is through gender identity or the way they present themselves. Representation of LGBTQ community has been represented through films and television in a positive manner with the intent of giving those a voice. Gucci has made the conscious decision to celebrate and positively represent those. Having such as large influence on the fashion industry, this brand is using their name to spread awareness.   Article - https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/42698/1/read-gucci-irregular-labs-latest-report-on-gender-fluidity-gen-z