Gucci recently announced that it will be combining its menswear and womenswear shows into a single event. While Gucci is not the first to blur the lines between men's and women's clothing, the shift towards gender-inclusive fashion shows represents a major step forward in breaking down the rigid gender binaries that divide the fashion industry.
The first Gucci show that will combine menswear and womenswear will take place in 2017 at Gucci's Milan headquarters. While the date may seem far away, the timeline is meant to give the brand an opportunity to organize the event in a way that moves away from traditional masculine and feminine fashion shows.
Although the event does coincide with the rise in unisex fashion, Gucci's president and CEO Marco Bizzarri also sees the combined shows as a practical move. As Bizzarri explains, "Maintaining two separate, disconnected calendars has been a result of tradition rather than practicality."
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Gender-inclusive Fashion Shows
- Combining menswear and womenswear shows represents a major step forward in breaking down gender binaries in the fashion industry.
- Unisex Fashion
- The rise in unisex fashion is being supported by the shift towards gender-inclusive fashion shows.
- Reimagining Traditional Fashion Shows
- Organizing combined shows in a way that moves away from traditional masculine and feminine fashion shows presents disruptive innovation opportunities.
Where This Applies
- Fashion
- The fashion industry is being disrupted by the shift towards gender-inclusive fashion shows.
- Event Planning
- Organizing combined shows requires reimagining traditional fashion show formats and presents disruptive innovation opportunities in event planning.
- Marketing and Branding
- Brands that embrace gender-inclusive fashion shows have the opportunity to redefine their marketing and branding strategies in order to attract a wider audience.
