Fashion is a form of art, and as fluid as art is, there are apparently still boundaries—boundaries between men and women’s fashion.
If you know anything about K-Pop, then you’ll know how that industry, in so many ways, defies the standards set by western and global society. Korean men flaunt makeup bolder than many women have ever tried before, from glittery shadows to yellow blush.
Pictured: EXO’s Kim Minseok (stage name Xiumin) flaunting a shimmery yellow blush
Often, this is received poorly and garners backlash for being too effeminate, but that doesn’t prevent K-Pop artists from garnering millions of fans across the globe.
Recently, EXO’s Kim Jongin (stage name Kai) was invited to attend Gucci’s 2019 SS Collection fashion show. On his way there, he dressed in all Gucci, from his purple sweater to leather pants to the women’s handbag he carried. Naturally, he was received with both applause and some scrutiny.
Credit: KNK
Some fans lamented his decision to carry a women’s bag, claiming he was too masculine.
Others celebrated the boundaries he broke during his run to the airport.
Jongin’s actions make it clear that he, for one, does not believe that his masculinity is dependent upon the clothes he chooses to wear. In a March 2018 L’Officiel Hommes interview, he claimed: “I love wearing pretty clothes and taking pictures. I’m happy right now; the present where I am able to dance, sing, and act.”
He is not the only one to have broken fashion boundaries. Former EXO member, Huang Zitao, never shies from expressing his love for women’s clothing and products. Likewise, SHINee’s Lee Taemin and f(x)’s Amber Liu are known for their androgynous visuals—pushing gender boundaries through their clothing and music—in in the case of Taemin, who mentioned that his “aim [for 2017 comeback MOVE’s choreography] was to find a middle ground, mixing both masculine and feminine movements into the choreography together.”
Credit: Amber of f(x)
Credit: Taemin of SHINee
These artists are exceptional role models for their audiences, spreading messages of open-mindedness, acceptance, and an unmatched creativity.
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