He For She

When it comes to equality for the sexes, fashion’s runways are leading the charge

- Genevra Leek

Last September, Burberry replaced its four-show calendar with two shows, combining its womens wear and mens wear collections on the runway for the first time. Cementing its position as an industry trailblazer, Vetements had already married its ready to-wear collections for men and women, showing during Paris couture week. And it’s a trend that has continued to roll through houses like Vivienne Westwood, Gucci and Rag & Bone. While combining designs for both sexes on the runway makes good business sense (more time to design, sell and produce collections), the move comes at a time when androgynous and gender-bending fashion is blurring the line between clothes for women and ones marked male-only. Which begs the question: do the old rules even apply?