Genderless Clothing: terrific, trend or tragedy.

Genderless fashion appears to be more than just a trend, it’s here to stay.
It is no secret that fashion loves to appropriate. Not only cultures, or ideas, but often also words. Adding descriptions to garments and backgrounds to collections, making them sound deep and deliberate, but often lacking exactly that thought-through purpose.

In July, U.S. Vogue released the cover of its August issue, featuring Model Gigi Hadid and singer Zayn Malik dressed in each other’s clothes, but more importantly, in the same clothes, and praised by the magazine as thereby breaking the boundaries of gender and setting an example for genderless fashion and gender fluidity. Since, celebrity after celebrity have recently opened up about their gender fluidity, and in response to this popular outbreak, brands such as ASOS have positively responded, through the launch of an entire genderless fashion division.

Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid Shot by Inez and Vinoodh for Vogue US, August 2017

Genderless fashion may be defined as a concept that sees a garment not being prescribed to a preferred gender when designed, differencing itself from fashion’s established notions of “menswear” and “womenswear” Asos took note and as a result the site is seen to be flourishing, becoming popular among younger millennials and members of Gen-Z, is going after the market for those who don’t want or care if their clothes are categorized as male or female, or those who are looking to shop and identify outside of the traditional gender binary.
Asos has launched an entirely new campaign to promote their genderless category called “Collusion”, where many of the outfits are worn by two different models to show gender fluidity.

The campaign featured social media influencers with large followings, as is the way to get Generation-Z to buy anything nowadays. Business of Fashion reported that in its first week of sales in October, Collusion* was the number four brand out of 850 Asos labels, including Nike and Addidas, brands which are common known to be unisex.
When genderless apparel first appeared on the scene, there was question over whether or not it would be profitable, or just a niche category. Now, buyers and customers demand for it has grown, and for companies like ASOS, it’s profitability was quickly proven. As Gen-Z becomes less concerned with rather or not their clothes are men’s and women’s, but rather with just clothes, the category only stands to grow bigger.