Who would have thought that Borat's infamous man-bikini would influence high fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen?
The British designer debuted his version of the skimpy one-piece swimsuit during his recent runway show at Milan Fashion Week.
McQueen's swimsuit is a bit toned down from the original mankini which made its debut in the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, in 2006.
I really hope this trend doesn't catch on, or the beaches could become hazardous to our eyes...
McQueen isn't the only one to fall under the mankini's spell. Earlier this year, singer John Mayer couldn't resist putting Borat's mankini on during a cruise.
Mankinis on the Catwalk
Alexander McQueen's Borat Inspiration
Trend Themes
1. Mankini-inspired Fashion - The rise of mankini-inspired fashion in high-end designer collections creates an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the fashion industry.
2. Movie-inspired Fashion - Designers drawing inspiration from iconic movies creates a trend in the fashion industry and opens up opportunities for more collaborations between the fashion and entertainment industries.
3. Unisex Swimwear - The trend towards unisex swimwear, exemplified by the mankini, creates an opportunity for designers to take genderless fashion to new heights.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - The fashion industry has the opportunity to capitalize on the trend of mankini-inspired, unisex swimwear and create more genderless fashion items.
2. Entertainment - Designers can collaborate with the entertainment industry to produce fashion lines inspired by iconic movies, opening up new possibilities for collaborations.
3. Tourism - Mankini-inspired fashion products or experiences can be developed to attract tourists who want to channel their inner Borat wannabe.