Jeremy Scott had it both ways: gender traditional in his unabashed sexuality for women and nonconforming in his use of what were once thought of as feminine colors, styles and accessories for men.
Jeremy Scott F/W 2017 Collection gallery: https://www.forbes.com/pictures/gkhh45geem/jeremy-scott-runway/#4f8da69e58ca
Public School
Ready-to-wear F/W 2017 Collection showcase:
http://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2017-ready-to-wear/public-school
In this show, much of the men’s and women’s clothing looked all but identical; there were a few times when it was hard to figure out whether the model was a man or a woman.
Here is a closer look into Raf Simons' collection during NYFW. Visuals to pair with the descriptions of his collections: http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/02/02/raf-simons-new-york-fw17/
But showing the women’s and men’s lines together allowed for rapid-fire consideration of what the differences were, really.
This could be a direct commentary on strictly enforced categorizations for "men's" and "women's" clothing (refer back to Donald Trump's comment about how he likes his female staffers to dress "in women's clothing").
Fashion has crossed many of these lines for years, of course
Discussion Question:
Fashion and trends are translated and diluted into society, but there may still be a discrepancy between the "fashion world" and the "real world." There is no doubt that fashion influences the "real world," and vice versa, but to what extent?
It may be that fashion’s refusal to decide, to render any one verdict, is as radical as some of the more overtly political statements made this week on the runways.
Embracing fluidity of interpretation and creation can be as radical as overtly political statements.
So designers on the runway this week engaged in a continuing dialogue
This "continuing dialogue" also seems to be further embraced on a bigger scale and globally due to influences like social media and bloggers.
Fashion, like society, is clearly not opting for hard and fast rules. Yet each designer brought a particular sensibility to the gender continuum.
"High Fashion" as a process is multi-faceted, but artists and designers are continually expressing notions of fluid sexuality and non-binary gender in their work. Such ideas are gradually collected from historically marginalized groups in society (these ideas are generally not what would be considered "mainstream,") yet they are translated for mass consumption by magazine editors, bloggers, influencers, etc. More and more, these types of notions are brought into mainstream society.
how clothing defines masculinity and femininity — and how it scrambles these notions
Discussion Question:
What are the major differences of and consequences for:
Interpretations of masculinity and femininity, defining masculinity and femininity vs. blurring the notions of gender and dissecting the system of a gender binary.
Models backstage at the Public School show during New York Fashion Week
Image: One of the more overtly political statements at NYFW.
Fashion has crossed many of these lines for years, of course. Women have long appropriated men’s clothes for comfort and authority.
There is a relatively recent but rich history of women borrowing from "men's" wardrobes, (Yves Saint Laurent's "Le Smoking," Iris Apfel's surface of jeans for girls) that goes back further than one might realize.
"A Brief History of Women in Menswear"
This is a fun little article if you would like more information on the subject.
SUSAN CHIRA
Susan Chira - Editor of News for the New York Times since 2011
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Chira
Most of Chira's pieces are opinion pieces concerning gender, feminism, and women's rights.