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Gender In Fashion In The 21st Century - Chapter Two

  • Writer: Grace Waltham
    Grace Waltham
  • Apr 16
  • 5 min read

Chapter Two    


Rick Owens 

Rick Owens remains one of most renound for his androgynous approach to fashion. Owens (2023) spoke about androgyny and said, ‘this has been going on for a long time and will always have a following’. Owens understands androgyny is not a new concept but is not necessarily accepted by everyone. Liu (2021) had the designer state ‘I’ve always had a certain amount of transsexualism’. For this reason, Owen’s label continues to subversively explore what feels true to him and to his cult following.






Rick Owens Women’s and Men’s Spring Summer 2026

(2025)



The community the Rick Owens label has built often champions fluidity with their dress. The unapologetical attitude the brand nurtures and supports allows space for those who wish to explore their gender identity through fashion. One may find Owens’ label interesting, as it is still presented as menswear and womenswear, yet the pieces sent down the runway and available online for the two categories are very interchangeable.  


As pictured, the latest women's and men's S/S 2026 runways saw extremely similar pieces on androgynous models, such as the same silhouette of bomber jacket and virtually identical trousers and platform boots. Although from two separate runways categorised for men and women, Owens has delivered pieces that are very gender fluid. If all the pieces were combined, they would work as one collection and are therefore suited for many different people who want to be fluid with their dress. The more traditional, mainstream ideology of categorising fashion into men's and womenswear is used by Owens, and at a glance this would mean the two categories would be vastly different. Yet when analysed, the garments and look of the models are singular yet extremely similar. The categories seem almost irrelevant yet could be potentially off putting to someone that rejects such categorisation, especially for a brand that is the epitome of androgyny and fluidity. It could be the case that one wouldn’t bother about the categorisation due to the brand’s fluid nature. It could be that this is just the very point Rick Owens is trying to make – you can categorise fashion, but it doesn’t mean it has to be restricted to the traditional ideas about said categories.  






Rick Owens Women’s Fall Winter 2024 Look 21

(2024)



Martine Rose 

Martine Rose is a contemporary menswear designer that has a fresh outlook on how men’s fashion, and how thoughtful it can be, opposed to the traditional emotionless, power dress we so often think of. The Martine Rose web page (https://martine-rose.com/pages/about-1, 2025) showcases collections being formed through exploring ‘attraction and resistance to the accepted codes of menswear’ with a ‘sexual edge’ and a ‘sensitivity to character and mood’. There are also nods to various subcultures in Rose’s work. With menswear being traditionally performative and rich in symbolism to exude power and status, introducing a mix of garments and fabrics used from other groups of people shows a progressive shift in acceptance and understanding, whilst also promoting self-expression. It is important that there are more menswear designers moving in this direction, should they feel this is relevant to their work. Allowing space for more fluid design in the menswear category helps rewrite the narrative of what men ‘should’ wear to what men can wear. Opening people’s eyes to a more fluid approach is progressive, and Martine Rose has successfully demonstrated this in the recent Spring Summer 2026 collection.  






Martine Rose Spring Summer 2026 

(2025)



Something that can be appreciated about Rose’s collection is the range of garments and accessories, and how they’re presented in different ways. The ruffles and transparent garment add a playful element to menswear. These perhaps recognisably feminine details being translated into menswear develops a deeply interesting collection that sports gender fluidity.











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