Gender Identity within Fashion 

26022015
Launching in mid-March, a concept space created by designer Faye Toogood will span three floors of our Oxford Street store, offering customers a gender neutral shopping experience complete with non-gender specific collections of clothing and accessories.

http://www.selfridges.com/content/article/coming-soon-agender

Macro Trend - Gender Identity within Fashion

Andrej Pejic for Gaultier 2011 Paris

20022015
For obvious reasons, I decided to insert a piece about the model Andrej Pejic in regards to my main focal point, the Marco-trend 'Gender Identity within Fashion', the reason being, Pejic has been a beacon over the past year for the trans community in regards to her prolific stand within the fashion industry being a model for both menswear and womenswear for some of the biggest fashion houses of recent times. She recently decided to follow her dream of transitioning to become a the women she's always felt she was. However, as she has always been associated with being non-gender conforming (non-gender specific), I believe for future reference I should research more into the models progression into fashion and how she identifies herself in greater detail as it will be beneficial for my trend.

Related Articles: 

Interview with Dazed - http://www.dazeddigital.com/projects/article/22458/1/73-andreja-pejic

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/andrej-pejic-comes-out-as-transgender-woman-jean-paul-gaultier-and-marc-jacobs-model-undergoes-gender-surgery-9628187.html

Humanity vs Earth

 California 

06022015

Over the past few years there have been discussions within Parliament as to whether they should introduce the controversial method of extracting natural gases to create electricity that is Fracking. The main issues are the affects the process has on the surrounding area as well as the contamination of drinking water.

http://www.dangersoffracking.com/

Water contamination due to fracking

Gender Identity Within Fashion

Yolandi Vi$$er (Pitbull Terrier Video)

05022015

Yolandi Vi$$er is a member of the South African group known as Die Antwoord, consisting of herself, Ninja and DJ HI-TECH. They created this ethos known as ZEF which is a way of thinking to them and a way of expressing their own style and take on life. What interested me about the group is that they are always finding creative ways of breaking the boundaries of fashion and their interpretive style can be translated to this idea of identity within fashion as they are always trying to strip away the humanistic physical qualities to create a alien/genderless aesthetic.

 Yolandi Vi$$er

Ninja (Fatty Boom Boom)

Gender Identity Within Fashion

 Female In A-GENDER clothing

05022015
Selfridges are to introduce a gender neutral space within its stores in an effort to eradicate the already blurred lines between gender equality. The way in which this will change the way fashion is portrayed is by taking the idea of unisex clothing but adding the more effeminate and masculine aspects of fashion and creating a collaboration of the two. Many brands have already began creating this androgynous theme within their collections and I believe it is small step in the right direction as from an early age we are introduced to all these gender specific items which creates a stigma it is wrong to express yourself whether it be a male wear 'female specific' clothing, or vice versa.

Link: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/23424/1/selfridges-will-launch-a-gender-neutral-pop-up-department

Dazed Magazine

MACROTREND - Humanity vs Earth

28012015

When exploring my initial thoughts of what Id base my macro trends on, I noted to consider the environment as a starting point. Which led me onto close examination of the issues involved in fracking and how it has been vaguely mentioned over the past few years to be introduced to the UK. It involved the use of a collection of chemical blasted into a certain rock bed deep underground which contaminates water and the surrounding environment is also impacted by the byproduct of this process. The connections between fracking and the impact on the environment led me to also expand towards the environment as a whole, the melting of the polar icecaps, the devastating deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest and how humans are the cause of such destruction.

MACROTREND - Gender Identity Within Fashion

 Rick Genest (aka Zombie Boy) and Andrej Pejic

 Andrej Pejic

Barbara Kruger (1989)

Andy Warhol in Drag (1981)

16012015
Within the media as well as the fashion industry recently, there has been an increase in addressing the issue that is gender identity as well as sexuality and self proclamation of both topics. Whether it has been the introduction of transgender models within catwalk shows, the use of both male and female models within Jeremy Scotts recent menswear collection or the likes of Andrej Pejic being identified as both genders.  The reason I decided to select this topic in regards to a macro trend was mainly because over the past decade the rise in acceptance of the LGBT community has risen to a all time high and because of this I believe it has created this wave of self expression that has caused many who felt unable to express or identify themselves. This has also became apparent in pop culture through the glamorisation of drag and controversial coverage of Bruce Jenner.