Remember when we all wore baggy jeans in the 90s? When we spend hours scouring the men’s department for the perfect boyfriend t-shirt invariably ending up with a loose neckline and an unflattering shoulder line? How about the curse of the seldom-found pocket?
When men design womenswear it often seems like they still do so still with men in mind. This is especially true in streetwear which has been, traditionally, almost entirely male dominated. Take the biggest brands you know. Stussy, Supreme, Off-White, Yeezy and many others, including pioneers of the style, are all male owned companies that for the better part of their existence featured garments not only designed by men but also intended to be worn by men. This may not have been an inherently bad thing. In the 80s. However, in the last decades there started to be a growing demand, as more and more women found themselves searching for streetwear options. This apparent gap in the market led to the creation of more unisex designs as well as brands like the aforementioned finally releasing women’s collections. But that didn’t necessarily address the bigger issue. At an industry level having more women at the helm of major labels is essential for creating a more equal and diverse environment. Then there’s the obvious matter that women don’t just want to dress like men. Instead of collections that appear to be little more than an afterthought for labels geared towards men, they want to see lines with tailored options, oversized t-shirts and sneakers that actually fit and a larger variety of choices, designed by women who understand women’s bodies.
Recent years have seen a shift in the industry and in the world of streetwear style. Women have immerged on the scene reshaping and redefining streetwear at every turn. Female owned and female run brands have started to flood the market with innovative, multi-dimensional designs and genderless pieces that push the boundaries of what has, for years, been the norm. Take Aries, the cult-favourite brand, embracing rave culture, co-founded by Italian-born Sofia Prantera. Its sartorial vision, breaks down the confinements of gender binaries whilst bringing a sense of rebelliousness and sensuality to women’s streetwear. Likewise with LIV who’s founder and lead designer Olivia Anthony aims for fluidity as well as wearability. Her designs, which combine a 90s aesthetic with cozy athleisure, give customers the freedom to wear them in their own personal, unique way. An undying love for the 90s and its unbothered style also inspired Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and stylist Daisy Von Furth to launch X-Girl, a label consisting of “real clothes”, as they put it, specifically pieces that they themselves wanted to wear. Back in 2005 former Rocawear designer Lawn Alabanza- Barcena created HLZBLZ. A blend of NY and California street style, its daring garments center around female empowerment, perhaps making their recent statement-making “Oprah 2020” hoodie, calling for Oprah to be president of the United States, the physical manifestation of that philosophy. Then there’s MadeMe who’s motto is “for girls, by girls”. Established in 2007, the New York City label encapsulates a vibrant, youthful energy in its bold designs. On the other hand, Sara Gourlay chooses to focus on sustainability and comfort. As such, Frankie Collective, the label for which she serves as creative director, designs and sells altered garments from Supreme, Champion and Kappa, that have all been reworked into one-of-a-kind pieces.
Over the past two decades, women, it seems, have infiltrated the boy’s club of streetwear design and done so successfully in all corners of the earth. Iranian designer Melody Ehsany, who in 2019 opened a store in New York’s Soho neighborhood, the location of such stores as Stussy’s first flagship and other streetwear (male) legends, became the first woman to design a pair of Jordans. Her eponymous brand of eye-catching streetwear and jewellery can be seen on celebrities such as Lauryn Hill, Tessa Thompson and Issa Rae. On the other side of the Pacific, Seoul based designer Hyein Seo’s label has been mixing elements of both menswear and womenswear, since 2014, for a modern and functional approach to athleisure. In the UK, Ashley Williams has been lamented as a must-have brand since it’s creation in 2013. William’s audacious, bordering-on-kitsch diamante hair pins, see-through shirts and full-skirted dresses embrace the whimsical and epitomize the dynamic spirit of the streets of London. MISBHV’s founder Natalia Maczek is, to a great extent, behind bringing streetwear to Poland. Together with her designer counterpart Kate, her pieces range from boyish to revealingly sexy, focusing on individuality and self-expression.
What started off as an amalgamation of surf, skater and hip-hop culture in the 80s and 90s has now evolved into a distinctive, urban look focusing on the idea that it should center around personal expression and culture rather than gender. Today, gender fluidity and “wokeness” have largely contributed in expanding the market. But ultimately it is thanks to the women, who are spearheading the previously-narrow fields of streetwear design, that the gender bias that has for years dictated the way businesses are operated and labels are marketed is met definitively with a fresh, bold perspective.
