EXPANDING IDENTITY

Are the boys finally having their 'babygurl' moment?

- NIDA NAEEM

There is much to be said about subverting the gender binary versus rejecting it altogether, but fashion hasn't yet reached a stage where the dichotomy of womenswear and menswear can be discarded altogether.

Women or femme-presenting people walking menswear shows is one thing. This isn't a new phenomenon, and doesn't raise many eyebrows since we're long past the days when pants or padded shoulders were only meant for men. One can only expect this co-ed format to become the norm. However, Rihanna with her baby bump fronting the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2024 menswear campaign was a zeitgeist-defining moment. There is nothing more 'womanly' than maternity, and yet, Pharrell Williams, the new creative director of the house's menswear division, made this a power move.

While well-tailored suits and utilitarian streetwear aren't going anywhere, our changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality are reflecting on both runways and Reels. We're not just talking men in skirts or make-up within typically masculine silhouettes, there seems to be a shift towards playful design details and feminine tropes.

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