Paris Mens Fashion Week June 2022 saw numerous gender-neutral collections. For the summer of 2023, many fashion brands offer skirts, dresses, jewelry, heels, sequins for men. Is the time finally right for this?
After the men’s fashion week in Paris in June 2022, can it be said that “the man is a woman like any other”? The question arises because skirts, dresses, shoes with high heels, jewelery – in short, the classic attributes of women – are currently being offered particularly frequently by fashion houses for men. If only the street style of Paris Fashion Week were there to testify to this, this fact could be dismissed as a social phenomenon. And if it were only intended for the most avant-garde catwalks or only for a niche market, it could still be denied. But that’s not the case – the feminization of menswear is pervasive. You only have to look at the silhouettes that walked the catwalk at Louis Vuitton to understand that the men’s wardrobe is currently undergoing radical changes.
Feminization of the men’s wardrobe: the beginnings of a new understanding of roles?
Other brands also took to the catwalks with proposals heralding the trend. So does Dries Van Noten, who uses a trick: pants with tennis stripes are paired with a high-waisted light pink skirt and white shirt and tie – a true mix and match of genres. The Korean label Songzio or the Spanish label Oteyza let skirt and shorts merge into a textile unit.
But the most interesting thing was undoubtedly what was happening in the salons and showrooms during Paris Fashion Week Men’s in June 2022. Places not really intended for the press or influencers, but rather intended to bring together fashion trends and shopping at major department stores. David Tlale, a South African designer exhibiting at Tranoï Hommes, suggests wearing a dress inspired by the djellaba (a baggy shawl worn primarily in Morocco): “Men in dresses are not for us New,” he said after his presentation, referring to the kilt in Western culture.
Women’s fashion for men also in the showrooms for international buyers
The djellaba is also a theme at Carbone, an Argentine brand presented in the No Season showroom. She sees the look as “a comfortable piece of clothing for the beach or at home”, similar to a high-quality pajama. “This challenges cultural assumptions and complicates Carbone’s history as a South American brand,” the label said. The theme is also current in the Dover Street Market showroom that accompanies the Airei brand. It is particularly striking due to the choice of materials inspired by Indian sarees.
Walter Van Beirendonck has long broken with traditional standards. In his spring/summer 2023 collection, he continues with shoes with heels like those from the baroque period, jewelry and colors like purple. Designer Gabriel Figueiredo, for the De Pino brand exhibiting at Tranoi, even goes so far as to offer wedding dresses for men, arguing that “after all, before society molds us, you can tell if you’re a girl or a boy.” A new understanding of roles without gender boundaries? Only the law of the market will answer that question.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.fr. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ.