by Nikola Marković - April 2024
A decade ago, many publications wondered if androgyny would go mainstream. Today, the answer is quite clear. Androgyny has transitioned from a buzzword of the 2010s and what looked like a ‘trend’ to an all-present gender expression of the 2020s’ mainstream culture. The grey area between masculine and feminine is hardly a niche and can be seen in virtually all fashion magazines and on the red carpets and runways from Tokyo to LA. In this article, we explore androgynous fashion in 2024 from what it is and it’s evolution to its drivers and key androgynous fashion brands.
Definition of androgynous fashion and its relevance today
The traditional definitions of androgyny define it as a gender expression resisting traditional notions of feminine and masculine. This includes both the state blending feminine and masculine characteristics and the state possessing neither of them. However, a more established notion today stemming from psychologist Sandra Bem’s gender schema further separates this dichotomy. Based on this framework, ‘androgyny’ is understood only as combining masculine and feminine characteristics and traits. Meanwhile, types of expressions possessing neither feminine nor masculine characteristics are distinguished as ‘undifferentiated expressions’ (agender, gender-neutral, etc.). Furthermore, although androgyny and undifferentiated expressions were historically subdued to the ‘gender non-conforming’ category, today they are discussed not only as separate but also in the plural, rather than as singular concepts.
Driven by these evolving cultural attitudes toward gender, ‘androgynous fashion’ has developed into a complex system of relations, markets, and aesthetics. As it caters to the whole spectrum between masculinity and femininity, it has become important today to the majority of the population. An ‘androgynous look’ doesn’t causally align with any sex, gender identity or sexual preferences. Therefore, it allows a vast range of possibilities not only to gender-nonconforming, trans and queer individuals but everyone regardless of their biology, identity, or sexuality.
Evolution of androgynous fashion
Given that ‘androgynous fashion’ blends masculine and feminine signifiers, it naturally kept changing depending on what femininity and masculinity meant throughout history in different cultures. From unorthodoxly beardless Ancient Sumerian Gala priests to the elegant dandies of the 19th century, ’androgynous fashion’ successfully walked the line between masculinity and femininity and simultaneously shaped their meanings for centuries.
Back in the 19th and 20th centuries, the fight to loosen the gender binary through ‘androgynous fashion’ gained momentum with the efforts to neutralize the gendered dress codes. On the one hand, there was the normalization of trousers and suits for women anticipated by the designs of Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret. This was popularized in film by Marlene Dietrich, Lauren Bacall, and Katharine Hepburn, and in music by queer African American artists like Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Gladys Bentley. On the other hand, gender-bending male rock stars of the second part of the century, like Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Prince, pushed the boundaries of ‘androgynous fashion’ on the opposite part of the spectrum. After this successful neutralization of certain garments and the standardization of the ‘androgynous look’, everything was set up for the ‘gender fluid’ movement.
This movement, with Generation Z as its force, peaked androgyny into the 21st-century mainstream culture. If you want to read in more detail about the history and development of ’androgynous fashion’, visit our article "Exploring Androgyny Through Fashion and Beauty".
Androgynous fashion today: key influences, drivers, and changes
In 2024, self-expression through clothing knows few boundaries. The global fashion industry is finding effective ways to follow this cultural shift by suggesting an inclusive and expressive wardrobe. It is embracing the freedom of expression that is the very essence of androgyny. Let’s look into some of the key drivers and influences of androgynous fashion in 2024.
Androgynous tailoring and experimental, fluid silhouettes
Tailoring has been a rigid, binary system for about two centuries. Today, designers have reclaimed it by deconstructing its very core. They are mixing and reimagining traditionally masculine and feminine dress codes and presenting them on diverse bodies. Androgynous tailoring today can be encountered in high fashion and couture, as well as fast fashion markets. As a result, reworked tailored pieces like blazers, suits jackets and trousers are a prevalent part of contemporary wardrobes regardless of gender.
In parallel to androgynous tailoring, we are also witnessing the proliferation of experimental, fluid silhouettes on the runways that are in different ways challenging gender-stereotypical expectations. This approach stems from the tradition of Japanese designers in the 80s and 90s who were experimenting with draping and asymmetrical, loose cuts, thus liberating the body from the norms. Novel and fluid silhouettes that are free from historical gender associations are effortlessly worn by all and are simultaneously an effective way to appear androgynous in 2024.
Androgynous hairstyles and gender-bending accessories
In 2024, both hairstyles and accessories are no longer limited to gender-specific classifications. From long hair to buzz cuts, from mullets to mushroom haircuts, from natural to vibrant colors – hairstyles are not restricted to the genders they might have traditionally been associated with. The same goes for accessories. From silky handkerchiefs and unisex bags to eccentric millinery and utilitarian headgear, accessories have become a very potent way to play with androgyny. What is more, most footwear designs are unisex today, especially in the sneakers market which accounts for almost 60 percent of all footwear globally produced. Traditionally feminine high-heeled shoes are growingly available in bigger sizes and are seen on runways on male-presenting models. Meanwhile, traditionally masculine dress shoes or military boots are an equal part of feminine wardrobes.
Bold prints, patterns and vibrant colors
Much like hairstyles and accessories, colors and patterns that were historically subdued to particular gender categories are subverted on the fall 2024 runways. Renditions of classic patterns like florals, camouflage, polka dots, animal prints, geometric and abstract patterns in bold, eye-catching colors can be seen in various contexts to signal androgyny. Pattern clashing, color-blocking, head-to-toe prints, tie-dye, as well as odd color mixes resonate with an androgynous sense of style because they express moods rather than traditional social expectations.
Androgynous body positivity and inclusive sizing
In past seasons, there has been an evident interest in showcasing a spectrum of bodies liberated from the binary of sex and hierarchical systems of shapes and sizes. Designers are making fashion accessible to all bodies, and in parallel making all bodies fashionable. These ventures go hand in hand as they both aim to pluralize, normalize and empower bodies that are not conforming to the binary, heteronormative, or hierarchical models. The fashion industry is more successfully working towards developing systems of inclusive sizing to cater to diverse types of bodies. This includes androgynous bodies that are not only becoming accepted but coveted.
Key androgynous fashion brands in 2024
While a vast majority of major brands today, from Gucci, Vivienne Westwood, Saint Laurent, Prada, or Balenciaga, feature androgynous looks on their runways, our selection includes those labels that have androgyny intertwined with the very essence of their design ethics and aesthetics. The featured brands have distinct visions of androgyny amongst each other – sometimes radically different. They are the true trailblazers, influencing the industry to follow and replicate their language and attitudes towards difference. Let’s look into our selection of 7 labels based on the latest Fall 2024 runway shows.
Rick Owens
By many proclaimed a true grandfather of androgyny, Rick Owens has been tackling genderless and androgynous fashion since 2002. Back then, Owens’ unorthodox, androgynous designs were truly groundbreaking, gradually gaining a cult following. His latest collection named “PORTERVILLE” features signature batwing shoulders and inflatable rubber boots, with the Canadian influencer couple Fecal Matter powerfully walking the runway. Owens’ dark, post-gender vision of androgyny is grounded in dystopian fantasy, creating a seamless blend of feminine and masculine – gender-ambiguous, alienesque beauty.
Namilia
Unlike Owens’ who creates for and within a tribe of followers but based on dystopian fantasy, Nan Li and Emilia Pfohl of Namilia are grounding their work in the LGBTQIA+ community while exploring the problems it faces. For example, the last collection “Paws Away” (“Pfoten Weg”) draws attention to transphobic, queer-phobic and misogynistic attacks in everyday life, with drag artists Bimini and Tayce strutting the runway. Namilia’s vision of androgyny is unapologetic, with bold political statements and sex-positivity at the core of the label. Reworking common understandings of femininity and masculinity, androgyny is featured with all of their contradictions and inconsistencies. Hard and soft, tough and sensual, trash and glamour, they all clash in Li and Pfohl’s provocative aesthetics. The rigid masculinity of the military uniform is juxtaposed with the reckless liberty of rave culture.
Willy Chavarria
Similar to Namilia, Willy Chavarría’s work is grounded in the Latino community, through which he is aiming to reinvent the American style. Mexican-American designer’s latest collection “Safe from Harm”, accompanied by a self-directed short film, featured biker jackets, Havana prairie power suits, and a signature jacket with extra-wide shoulders. Chavarría’s vision of androgyny is a romantic one. Although he nominally makes menswear, winning the CFDA menswear award, his point is not ascribing to gender binary and simultaneously redefining and embracing both femininity and masculinity. “Femininity and masculinity still exist, and they don’t have to be toxic. We can love them, and we can include them and be accepting of one another,” Chavarría told Bazaar.
Matty Bovan
In contrast to Chavarria’s tailoring-based label, Matty Bovan’s work over the past 15 seasons was defined by avant-garde, fluid and organic, dramatically draped, sculpture-like designs. Being part of the new generation of designers like Charles Jeffrey with a radical approach to gender, Bovan seems to create in a post-gender universe, traversing gender, sexuality and body consciousness. Bovan’s latest collection shifted to a digital showcase and focused on his British roots. The jarring androgynous silhouettes intertwined traditional English textures and historical references with Bovan’s signature chaotic and daring color combinations.
LUAR
LUAR spelled backward is Raul – the name of a Brooklyn native designer with Dominican roots behind the brand. Following the tradition of designers like Chavarria rooted in the West Coast Latino community, Raul Lopez is deeply inspired by his East Coast hometown and Caribbean heritage. His latest collection titled “Deceptionista” is described as “an anthology of the metrosexual from the perspective of a queer man.” It features glossy leather tailoring with signature shoulder treatment on different types of garments and devoré zebra prints. It can be described as a combination of Elizabethan male attire and Banjee swag. Lopez envisages androgyny as both flamboyant and severe, elegant and street, ultra-masc and femme.
Windowsen
A fusion of the operating system: Windows with designer’s name, Sensen Lii’s Windowsen has taken the fashion industry by storm since its founding in 2019. Raised in China and graduating from the famous Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Lii’s futuristic, post-human take on gender-bending fashion is fresh and inspiring. It transcends traditional gender binaries and the paradigm of masculinity and femininity. Presented at Paris Fashion Week, Windowsen’s latest collection “Barbie with the Chinese Zodiac” furthermore broadens his signature intergalactic, cyberpunk style. Drag artists Charity Case, Salvia, Sminty Drop, Morphae, and Tayce effortlessly strutted the runway in what is described as “couture with a sporty-tech twist”.
NIHL
Founded by Neil Grotzinger, NIHL is a New York-based label that is all about the subversion of masculine stereotypes and the exploration of ‘masculine effeminacy’. Shaped by their childhood growing up in Colorado, Grotzinger’s work is a study on queerness as a liminal space between the binaries of masc and femme, gay and straight, male and female. Their work focuses on multidimensionality rather than mere contradictions between masculinity and femininity. In their latest collection, they explore ways to achieve sensoriality without the label’s signature beading. Androgynous in a sensual fashion, the collection features silk charmeuse dresses, skirts and blouses printed with photos from Grotzinger’s private archive paired with strappy high-heeled sandals and eclectic bags.
Conclusion and what to look out for in the future of androgynous fashion
According to the Greek myth, androgynes were humans with female and male bodies joined back-to-back. The king of the gods, Zeus, split them and condemned them to search for each other in eternity. By taking a look at the forefront of androgynous fashion in 2024, it seems like those halves of the androgyne might have found each other and united again. Today’s fashion proposes exactly this kind of ideal of feminine and masculine unity and encourages individuals to find and embrace both their masculine and feminine sides regardless of their biology, identity, or sexuality. Masculinity and femininity are intertwined and to be explored and expressed in a liberated interplay.
What is also clear in dissecting today’s androgynous fashion is its striving for a sort of pluralism. Each label brings its take on androgyny and reads new meaning into contemporary masculinity and femininity, often radically divergent. Based on these pluralist leanings, perhaps how androgyny could develop in the future is by broadening the mere ends of the spectrum. Instead of the two poles being masculinity and femininity, we could try to find the other poles of the spectrum. If we imagine the gender spectrum as a circle, masculinity and femininity can simply be viewed as two points, with possibly countless more. How could they look like and relate to each other? Although beyond our current comprehension, these might be the horizons of new possibilities.
Looking for more information?
If you'd like to read more about androgynyous fashion, check out the following articles:
- Exploring Androgyny Through Fashion and Beauty
- Exploring Gender Expression Through Fashion & Beauty
- Androgynous Fashion on the Runways: 2023 Highlights
- Androgynous Looks from London Fashion Week 2023
Nikola Marković (they) is a non-binary Serbian artist, researcher, and writer currently based in Vienna. They are about to start their doctoral research at London College of Fashion. Previously they graduated in Fashion under the mentorship of Hussein Chalayan and Grace Wales Bonner. Their artistic practice and research aim at disrupting the binarities/hierarchies of gender, class, ability, and subject-object dualism.