By: Isaiah Brown
Fashion in modern society is utilized for the expression of an innovative style one conjures themselves. Anna Wintour once said, “Create your own style […] let it be unique for yourself and yet indefinable for other.” Gucci’s ready-to-wear Spring/Summer 2016 line was definitely unique and indefinable to most – at least to those who refuse to understand the art of fashion.
Alessandro Michele, the new Creative Director for the Gucci brand, is re-writing the fashion Bible, padding it with things such as “80’s French Couture” and “Renaissance biker chic.” One way Gucci stood out amongst others is through the brand’s capture of the feminine essence and its incorporation in their men’s clothing line.
(NYMag)
Gucci’s SS 2016 challenges the convention of male style. Models such as Ruth Bell and Karly Loyce were included in the menswear show; Abel Van Oeveren and Adonis Bosso, also models, were bearing many garments that could have been deemed questionable to the “typical” masculine gent.
When I asked LMU freshman Michael Rea if he would wear something to the sorts of the new Gucci line for men, after showing to him Gucci’s new aesthetic, his response was, “Well, no. It is not my style.” Knowing Michael, and having worked with him, he styles himself more towards the overtly masculine man of the early 00’s, with boot cut pants and baseball tees. His response to the blouses and neck bows Gucci incorporated in their new season was one to be expected from someone like him with a specific taste.
For so long, the fashion industry has been divided between male and female. However, over the years the rigid line that has divided the fashion world has dissolved, and each side is crossing into one another. This begs the question: Have we really transcended all binary codes placed within the fashion world or are men still looking to rock the original boot-cut cut jean? I do know one thing is for certain, and that is the fact that fashion – especially for men – is not what is was. In fact, men have transitioned from the boot-cut pants leg and have gone on to newer, and much more flattering, pieces such as the slim legged pant. This discovery took just as long as it took cave men to discover fire. Here at last!
Personally, I commend the men who are not afraid to delve into effeminate fashion, as it shows that they do not live by the standards society places on us, in but in their own respect.