BY NOAH SPEE
Date of publishing: 11/06/2023
These days there are so many different people that are helping to break the boundaries between genders. They’re breaking certain boundaries that I personally look up to and get huge amounts of inspiration from. I’ve put together a list of different personalities. They vary from influencers, to singers, to designers. These people have a special place in my heart when it comes to genderless fashion so I’ve decided to highlight them to spread the word and normalize androgynous styling. So this is a list of 10 personalities on Instagram that aren’t afraid to break the gender construct. (P.S. click their picture to see the rest of their amazing feed.)
Ivan is an influencer who is also an adamant promoter of personal care and mental health. They’ve recently started getting comfortable with wearing skirts in public even though according to society’s norms it’s not “normal”. I think they’re an amazing example of what’s also normal and should be accepted as such.
In April of 2016 Anthony Vaccarello was appointed creative director of Saint Laurent. Following the example of mister Yves Saint Laurent himself he prefers to “shock” people with his designs. In my opinion, he’s a creator of gender-neutral fashion with a dash of rockstar attitude. And who doesn’t love feeling like a rockstar every now and then? His most recent collection of men’s fashion is a perfect example of the aforementioned.
Arry Paul is an influencer who soon will start his own design label. He regularly posts pictures and videos of his gender-fuid sense of fashion. He not only wears clothes that are gender neutral but he also develops his own creations. Another great representation of what normal can be. And I for one, am a great supporter of the statement he makes with his clothing.
Another great role model when it comes to wearing whatever you feel comfortable in is influencer Bretman Rock. Crop tops, skirts and heels are items they regularly wear in their daily life. They even released a book about being yourself and not having to apologize for it. So, if you prefer to wear skirts during your workouts (just like Bretman) you go and do it.
Wisdom Kaye is what I call a fashion experimentalist. A person that doesn’t just stick to one style but tries to make a ton of different styles a part of themselves. I think it’s safe to say that he’s succeeding. Wisdom is such a great example of not letting gender stop you from wearing what you desire. Whether it’s skirts or an amazing pair of Rick Owens boots, he’s wearing it all.
Edward is an Asian American influencer who promotes both mental and physical health. Specifically, skin care. As a man it’s not common to want to take care of yourself and I think Edward really brings this matter to attention in a positive way. Not only does he show different ways to take care of yourself but he also creates beautiful looks with make-up.
Has anyone seen Conan Gray’s MET Gala outfit? Olivier Rousteing did an amazing job at creating a look that matches perfectly with Conan’s regular clothing style from my point of view. A perfect blend of masculine and feminine elements with the romance of the pearls and the edginess of the leather trousers. Even though I don’t really listen to his music, his fashion sense (like many others in this list) should in my opinion be a huge source of inspiration to the world.
Another great independent designer is Jordy Arthur Vaesen. A Belgian influencer who creates all different kinds of masterpieces. He usually displays a large variety of designs that he fabricated himself. The way I see it, is that he makes designs that are wearable for both men, women and everyone in between. An ideal that I find very encouraging for anyone that’s willing to experiment with removing the boundaries between genders.
Another person who’s a person that has removed gender construct in their life is Neil Shibata. The influencer often dabbles in wearing skirts or crop tops and doesn’t shy away from an amazing make-up look. The differences between his masculine and feminine style are very prominent on his Instagram feed what makes it really interesting to see that you don’t have to choose. You can do both and no one can tell you that you can’t.
Last but definitely not least we have Harris Reed. It could very well be possible that Harris is the first non-binary creative director of a large fashion house. They’re the recently (September 2022) appointed creative director of Nina Ricci and they are doing it while looking fabulous at the same time. During his short time at the house, they already have a book ready for pre-order at the time of writing this blogpost. The book will be called “FLUID a fashion revolution” and I cannot wait for it to drop. Harris is undoubtably a leading person when it comes to owning who you are and showing the world that you can succeed at life while doing so.
DISCLAIMER: All these images belong to their rightful owners. I do not own any of the pictures used in this blogpost.