Menswear at the Women’s Shows

Avant-garde designers with an urban edge benefit from presenting both men’s and women’s looks at womens’ Fashion Week as it effectively demonstrates the androgynous appeal of the brand.

Central-Saint-Martins-trained British designer Gareth Pugh showed his Spring/Summer 2012 collection at Paris Fashion Week, sending both men and women down the runway in monochrome, architectural designs. Geometric lines and grid-like mesh were used for both men’s and women’s looks, uniting the collection and cementing the androgynous, urban aesthetic.

Similarly, London-based designer Todd Lynn seasonally presents his pared-down, contemporary-feeling collections using both male and female models, allowing his androgynous utilitarian vibe to be fully realised.

Milan-based British designer Neil Barrett applied the same concept to his collection at menswear trade show Pitti Uomo in Florence In June 2011, dotting womenswear looks throughout his S/S 2012 show. Originally a menswear designer, Barrett succeeded in highlighting his womenswear designs, as well as adding a dose of sex appeal to the mix.

While the majority of European designers showing in Milan and Paris choose to keep their men’s and women’s collections entirely separate – with men’s lines presented at Pitti Uomo in Milan or Paris Men’s Week – New-York-based designers are becoming more open to showing holistic collections.

Michael Kors showed looks for both men and women as part of his safari traveller-themed S/S 2012 show in New York, while Marc by Marc Jacobs created a summer-holiday-inspired collection for his S/S 2012 New York show by combining relaxed, modern Riviera menswear and womenswear.

Urban, youth-led labels like Diesel Black Gold and D’Squared rely on presenting trend-driven collections in order to establish themselves as fun and youthful contemporary brands. The decision to show both men’s and womenswear at New York fashion Week for S/S 2012 by both labels fosters a sense of community, and encourages the audience to see the brand as a lifestyle choice, rather than simply clothing.

Likewise, Japanese brand Y-3, Yohji Yamamoto’s diffusion line, showed its sportswear inspired S/S 2012 collection at New York Fashion Week, with slouchy, avant-garde designs for both men and women.

Burberry is one of London’s biggest fashion exports and relies heavily on intense marketing, using social-media, of-the-moment models and musicians to establish itself as a perennial London brand with a youthful edge.

Burberry Prorsum unveiled its men’s S/S 2012 collection at Pitti Uomo in June 2011, but included many of the menswear looks in its star-studded show at London Fashion Week in September. The only high-profile London show to include menswear in its women’s show, Burberry Prorsum works to sell an all-round aesthetic. Capitalising on the razzmatazz around its biannual womenswear collection, the brand’s inclusion of menswear serves as a reminder of the directional menswear area of its business.