5 Designers Who Are Challenging Fashion Norms
David Bowie once said, “Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming.” The phrase was originally used to promote his 1977 album Heroes, but it fits so perfectly with the current nature of fashion. The most successful designers channel Bowie’s prophetic wisdom in their collections—not just the clothes, but also the overall vision. Their impact goes beyond dollars and cents; it filters out to the masses for their societal impact as well.
Right now, we’re living in an important time where there is heightened awareness pertaining to social injustices. People are having important conversations about body, race, gender, class, sexuality, and fashion is at the intersection of it all. Here are five designers that, through their work, are doing amazing things to put a dent in the status quo. These artists’ expanded visions are representative of a more inclusive future.
Olivier Rousteing
Olivier Rousteing’s appointment to creative director of Balmain in 2011 was nothing short of extraordinary. At 25 years old, Rousteing, a black man, became the youngest person appointed as creative director to a Parisian fashion house since Yves Saint Laurent headed up Christian Dior at age 21 in the 1950’s. Rousteing quickly began creating opportunities for other people of color like himself. Balmain probably has the most diverse show in Paris and the designer is very vocal about the industry’s issues regarding race. In December he told Dazed & Confused, “what the f—k? You put just one black girl in to make sure you’ve ticked a box? Like, do you go to London, to Paris, to New York? I think you see as many black and Asian people there as white people.”
Along with addressing race, Rousteing also does a lot to dismantle fashion’s elitism. His love of pop culture (and especially of Rihanna) is well documented and infused in his work. For Balmain’s Spring 2015 collection, Rousteing tapped Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to front the campaign. Just a few years ago we would have never guessed that a rapper and a reality TV star, both people of color and tabloid fixtures, would be representing a major Parisian fashion house. In general, the fashion industry is taking pop culture and social media followings more seriously. Social media is making fashion more accessible to everyone. Until recently, luxury brands didn’t want to be understood by young people on the Internet or referenced in hip-hop lyrics for fear of being “off brand”. That train of thought is the epitome of elitism. Rousteing is keeping Balmain current by making it more desirable for a younger, more culturally astute consumer.
Riccardo Tisci
Riccardo Tisci is a great example of a person who’s at the forefront of social progress in the fashion industry. As creative director of Givenchy, he not only influences the way we dress, but also the way we think. Tisci made waves in 2010 when he casted transgender model Lea T for Givenchy’s fall/winter ad campaign. Not only was this monumental for the trans community but monumental for Lea as well since it became a catalyst for her very successful modeling career.
"Who says so that a transsexual cannot be a top model?,” he told Details earlier this year. “Even when I called the photographers, they were like, ‘A transsexual?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, a transsexual. She’s a beautiful girl, you guys are going to meet her, she’s amazing.’”
As for his stylistic vision? Tisci has always maintained that his aesthetic is couture-meets-the-street. His oversized graphic T-shirts and highly coveted high-top sneakers introduced Givenchy to a younger, more diverse audience. He didn’t cast a trans model, or design Kim Kardashian’s wedding dress, or embrace hip hop culture because they were trendy; he just believes in them. He’s a designer of the future because his authenticity and loyalty are prominent parts of his personality in an industry where those qualities are hard to come by.
Shayne Oliver
Shayne Oliver of Hood by Air is one of the most fascinating designers working today. His clothes are brave and unapologetic. The New York Times described Oliver’s work as “post-everything fashion.” When Oliver launched HBA, he started with a T-shirt—an innocuous item that blossomed into a full line for all genders, but is not necessarily gender specific. In HBA’s vision of tomorrow, there is no race, gender, class, body type or any other social division. Just look at the most recent Fall/Winter 2015 collection, where models’ faces were obscured by hosiery worn over their face Right now, lots of designers are playing with the idea of androgynous expression, but Oliver is the only one presenting a world where gender isn’t a defining characteristic.
Becca MacCharen
"I’m so against all white, straight, skinny girl runways,” Chromat designer Becca MacCharen told Fashionista.com earlier this year. “That just doesn’t reflect my reality and who I am and who the Chromat woman is.” The 6-year-old line is a favorite of power women like Madonna, Beyoncé, and Nicki Minaj. The diverse nature of her vision is reflected in her runway presentations as well. The models always vary in terms of race, size, gender, and identity. It only makes sense to present a wide range of beautiful people on the runway, not just a homogenous look of the season.
J.W. Anderson
J.W. Anderson has really been the steadfast pioneer in challenging gender norms through fashion design. The symbiotic relationship between Anderson’s men’s and women’s collections is what makes his work an interesting preposition for the future. It’s like a “his & hers” wardrobe aesthetic taken to the next level. For years, it’s been perfectly acceptable for women to wear menswear-inspired clothing whereas it’s still deemed unacceptable for male-bodied people to embrace femininity because, let’s face it: we live in a severely patriarchal society.
J.W. Anderson has spent his career attempting to break down this barrier. His Spring/Summer 2011 menswear collection made headlines when he sent male models down the runway in full-on dresses. He didn’t cop out by making them loose, billowing, and marketing them as “tunics,” these were shifts dresses and strapless numbers! In the response to the show, Anderson told The Guardian: “It caused violent reactions. I thought that was great! It meant the collection was challenging perceptions.”
Typically, radical designers are kept out of jobs at big luxury brands because their work isn’t “commercial” enough to sell to the masses, but Anderson managed to be appointed as Creative Director of Loewe without altering his point of view. This shows that there is a place in the world for his customer. He most likely influenced Gucci’s recent androgynous rebranding under Alessandro Michele. More options for all!
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