| JISKA VAN ROSSUM |
| Androgyny and Fashion Androgyny is an element that appeared a lot in fashion in the past decades. It's a subject that always had my interest and inspired me a lot. Why? Because I think male fashion is more interesting, stronger, more chique and more minimalist than female fashion? Or because I don't feel connected with skirts and dresses, typical female pieces of clothing? Or does my preference have a deeper social or cultural cause? Well in any case, androgyny in fashion seems to appear again. There are a lot of male influences, like suits and shoes, on the female catwalk and a lot of fashion shoots use androgynous models. Coincidence? Or a reaction on the fashion of the last couple of years? Or does it have something to do with the feminism wave or other social happenings? Androgynous means in biology having both female and male characteristics; hermaphroditic. Literally androgynous means: being neither distinguishably masculine nor feminine, as in dress, appearance, or behaviour. But in fashion: 'We are not all really longing for two sexes in a single body, and the true hermaphrodite still counts as a monster.' (Anne Hollander, feeding the eye) I want to make a collection that shows my androgynous look on fashion. Not based on previous androgynous fashion styles. But based on gender and fashion theory and fashion history research. Not being influenced by the power constructions between male and female as they are given by media and institutions, because I never experienced them. A unisex collection that can be sold at the female and male department of a store. [email protected] |
