In my final year of design studies I wrote a paper on the history of dress with particular reference to the idea of androgyny. The blurring of the sexes has been a mainstay of fashion and this idea of ambiguity, of mixing masculine and feminine characteristics, pervades popular fashion particularly given its credence as a major trend in recent seasons. My argument was that fashion will eventually find itself at a point where the style differences between men and women will become so vague that the only distinction between the sexes will be gender itself, rather than aesthetic appearance.
Today Canvas met the fashion equivalent of my argument, Jean-Phillip, designer of homme couture label Jean/Phillip. He has taken this idea of androgyny, which has traditionally been reserved for women’s fashion, and given it a man’s perspective: how do you emasculate menswear without giving it a silly marketing label (e.g metrosexual) or frou-frou colour (e.g pink)? In the same way we spoke about style becoming borderless, Jean-Phillip is creating a fashion that is genderless. Not to confuse, this is a mens collection but it’s definitely pushing the boundaries of traditional mens fashion. It’s a little bit avant-garde, a little bit subversive, a little bit like Rick Owens in that glamour-meets-grunge way. But his want to change the way men, particularly Danish men, consider fashion is subtle. It takes a certain level of courage to wear sequins, even as a woman, but Jean-Phillip has taken an approach with this collection that treats it more as armour than mere adornment. And in that respect, when you see the pieces put together, complete as Jean-Phillip’s vision, you can see how it will appeal to everyone.
