Capsule collection & Other Stories, courtesy of & Other Stories
There is a whiff of change in the fashion world. Its beauty norms and standards are not what they used to be and have been seriously changing in the past months – for the better.
The beginning of the year saw the release of two quite special advertising campaigns: Céline’s, featuring Joan Didion (aged 80); and Saint Laurent’s, with Joni Mitchell (aged 71). The campaigns – minimalistic and simple as they are – wouldn’t have stirred much attention, were it not for the respectable age of the two brands’ ambassadors, and of course their cult status.
Joni Mitchell for Saint Laurent, courtesy of Saint Laurent Paris
Until recently ageing was almost taboo in fashion, and society expected older women to tone down and dress their “age”. Fortunately, these boundaries are shifting, as pointed out by Julia Twigg, Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent and the author of “Fashion and Age”, 2013. According to Twigg, the idea of age has “undergone a cultural shift under the impact of a series of interconnected changes in the economy and labour market; the position of women; and changes in the family and personal relationships”.
Certainly, the position of women has drastically changed through the last decades, as has the attitude towards ageing. However, with an ageing population across most western countries, it seems almost natural that Céline and Saint Laurent are waking up to this very profitable market.
Gucci, SS16 Menswear. Courtesy of Gucci
But while there is nothing outrageous about fashion embracing ageing, much more attention grabbing is the ongoing gender-bender awakening. Thus, recently Gucci presented an almost gender-neutral collection in pastel colours and soft fabrics; at YSL’s runway show, girls walked down the runway side by side with boys; and John Galliano put male models in dresses during his latest haute couture show for Maison Margiela.
Is this merely a provocative attempt to spice up the runway? Well, it may not be. Big fashion brands seem to know what they are doing when they make bolder moves– for instance, Gucci’s sales have shot up since Alessandro Michele presented his debut Seventies-inspired collection for the fashion house; strikingly different from Tom Ford’s aggressive sexuality and Frida Giannini’s low-key elegance.
Gucci, SS16 Menswear. Courtesy of Gucci
The experimentation with androgyny may be not as risky as it seems as sexual and gender fluidity has become ever more prominent. According to the recent Kinsey survey, only 49% of the UK’s 18 to 24 year-olds define themselves as heterosexual; so again it seems that fashion brands are only catching up with the reality of the new generation.
Most telling is the fact that not only haut couture but also high street have treaded on the revolutionary path towards embracing gender-neutrality. In August this year & Other Stories unveiled its new campaign for the Autumn/Winter 2015/16 collection, designed by five transgender creatives and all-round muses: models Hari Nef and Valentijn de Hingh, photographer Amos Mac, stylist Love Bailey and make-up artist Nina Poon.
Hari Nef in Capsule collection & Other Stories, courtesy of & Other Stories
Valentijn de Hingh in Capsule collection & Other Stories, courtesy of & Other Stories
The brand belongs to the mass-market giant H&M and has 10 stores across Europe and in the USA; so this new collaboration may signal the further democratisation of fashion and society. After all, as Amos Mac, the photographer behind the & Other Stories campaign, said: “Fashion is all about what you’re comfortable in”.
Text by Ira Solomatina