17.11.2016 в 18:55

Editorial: The New Cultural Gender

At this time in our current society gender and identity seem to be the most controversial topics. Whether it is equal rights, feminism, or the fact that each gender has to wear clothes that are assigned for them by society. Personally, I have always been fascinated with this issue, in how it shouldn’t be a taboo at all.

As much as the fashion industry has come to bleeding the gender of their clothes, there’s a still a long way to go. With this photo shoot, we have explored the identity of men’s fashion, from the boyhood to an adulthood and how the clothes change our identity as well as the ups and downs of growing up respectively represented by the light from the suns reflection and by the dark from the trees’ shadows. Just like nature, life has it’s own rules and boundaries. We’ve decided to challenge those boundaries. They do not exist. Just like gender within fashion. It’s irrelevant. But it will be a challenge to get there and be able to find yourself, despite of all the rules and finally break free.

We all start off being this innocent teenager who never thought of fashion as a form of self-expression. The teenage boy in the photograph here would in fact say, “It is just pieces of clothing that have to be worn. It does not matter.” And just like his half nudity here, his soul is hollow with no identity or suppressed personality. He – and all of us as well – never knew something as simple as clothes could change a life forever.
As the photographs chronologically evolve, we see that, little by little, the young boy starts discovering his personality and identity by adding more pieces to his puzzle – because let’s not forget that, as we grow up into adults, we are constantly looking for who we are and completing, pieces by pieces, our individuality.

At the end, the boy ends up realizing that he does not want to follow the fashion standards (gender style, classic, etc.) and opting for something more feminine, something that suits him, that reflects who he is, not what society expects him of being. For some reason in it is considered taboo for boys to wear makeup or feminine clothes. It takes time to fully embrace who you are. Finding the feminine side of his and just like the white rose he bloom pure and clear. Pushed all the fear that surrounded his mind and ignored the judgments of others. You only have once life, use it. Wear what you want. And most importantly be yourself.