Consumer Priorities: Flexible Identities
Historically, race and gender have been the most divisive markers of identity. And while they are a foundation of mainstream culture, we are beginning to see early adopters and innovators challenge these rigid classifications and replace them with visions of identity that are more personal and nuanced.
As technology enables more flexibility in our everyday lives (there’s an app for that), how we identify ourselves is becoming increasingly flexible as well. The topic of gender identity continues to dominate the industry and seemingly every fashion brand has unveiled a gender- neutral campaign, to reflect society’s embrace of gender fluidity. The lines of both Gender and Sexuality are becoming ever more blurred. Flexible identity is more than just a gender and sexuality issue – employment identity and ethnic identity are the new flexible frontiers set to impact 2018.
For example, a new exhibition at London Fashion Space Gallery explores fashion designers’ fixation with male youth. Not only does curator Lou Stoppard explores themes such as sexuality, street culture and the rise of ‘Neutral Culture’ but the ‘Made About The Boy’ exhibition features audio interviews, photography, films as well as key pieces from designers, including Gosha Rubchinskiy and Raf Simons
Seminal photographs of skinheads from the 1980s by celebrated fashion photographer Nick Knight sit alongside a spring/summer 2015 collaboration between grime artist Skepta and chillwear designer Nasir Mazhar, demonstrating the increasing pertinence of youth culture on today’s fashion industry.
Stoppard also highlights the rise of gender fluidity, citing JW Anderson’s androgynous collections and fashion photographer Brett Lloyd’s editorials. But she is still keen to highlight the differences between the genders. ‘With masculinity there is more of a focus on rights of passage, gangs and freedom,’ says Stoppard. ‘With women the focus is much more on aesthetics and youthful.”
Selfridges also opened a gender-neutral shopping experience whereas Barney’s showed off enviable wardrobes – but unlike in previous catalogues, all the models are transgender.














