Fashion and inclusivity

by Weronika Maleszewska

The fashion world is a place full of uncertainty, surprises and emotions. 

Which is good. 

Recently, designers have begun to reveal their courage like never before, allowing them to fearlessly create their pieces, without caring about the reaction from potential haters.

Even better. 

Limitations related to the lockdown, which have been with us for almost a full year, turn out to have extremely interesting and unexpected effects. People want more, sooner.

Time seems to be constantly accelerating so it is no wonder that designers, understanding the needs of the market, come up with proposals that, albeit temporary, will allow any pre-COVID experience to be satisfied. 

Kacper Tojwaszewski, co-creator of one of the most popular monthly fashion fairs in Poland, Elektrownia Powisle fair, has observed a shift in people’s tastes.

“One might be tempted to say that fashion evolves with such speed as never before (…) Thanks to my profession, that allows me to observe the changes directly, I see less and less sense in separating female clothes from men.” 

Consumers begins to take the name of a person, instead of belonging to a given, pre-defined group of being. Women wearing oversized men’s sweatshirts or trousers and men in figure-enhancing coats or skirts are no surprise.

This year’s fashion weeks turned out to be rich with examples of the disappearance of divisions in fashion, new solutions and proposals. Take for example the Schiaparelli’s SS21 haute couture presentation, consisting of moulded leather six-pack dresses.

By taking inspiration from Jean Paul Gaultier, who during the ’90s also played with muscle prints, Schiaparelli’s collection has become revolutionary. The playful, surreal silhouette (worn by miss Kim K. during her Christmas Party) subverted outdated gender norms.

The total gender mix in terms of not only the designs themselves, but also the choice of models, has had a significant impact on the perception and presentation of collections.

Designers like Kim Jones or the Olsen twins smoothly bring this ‘innovation’ to the world of fashion, setting an example for the rest.

In his Spring 2021 Couture proposition, the Creative Director of Fendi, proved that gender fluidity is what the future should hold. In a strongly feminine and embedded collection, he did not hesitate to use Ludwig Wilsdorff to model in a purely female role.

Despite the incredibly masculine beauty of the model, the whole arrangement around the show allowed for a smooth assimilation of the content proposed by Kim.

The existing, even obsessive attachment to the tags: male, female is experiencing a clear crisis. An example of this are the Olsen twins, who, in tandem with their own beliefs and the brand’s perennial style, have completely abandoned all gender differences. 

Combining potentially extreme properties turns out to be a quantum leap towards openness and the disappearance of boundaries. Boundaries that, instead of helping expression, only inhibited its development. A very successful start to the fashion year gives a lot of hope for a better tomorrow. 

Good. 

Thanks to such rapid changes, we are waking up in a new reality. 

Even better.