Let’s hear it for the…girls?
To rewrite the song lyric, that seems to be fashion brands’ new tune as more and more designers opt for coed shows, most often putting men’s wear in with their women’s collections in February/March and September/October.
The movement toward the strategy is leaving some buyers and editors in what Euromonitor says is the $414.2 billion men’s wear industry feeling a little spurned, since few retailers or publications have the budget to send their teams over to Europe or the U.S. four times a year.
No doubt having one show instead of two allows brands such as Burberry, Gucci and Vetements to cut costs while simultaneously presenting a cohesive message that works for many labels in an increasingly unisex, gender-fluid world. But many other brands have also embraced the coed movement including Etro, Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta, Kenzo, Paul Smith, Dsquared2, Moschino, Vivienne Westwood and Cédric Charlier, shaking up the system.
Despite the shifts and potential controversy, show organizers are taking it in stride.
“I would not dwell on a rigid separation between men’s and women’s calendars, as the situation is much more fluid than in the past,” said Carlo Capasa, president of the Italian fashion body Camera Nazionale della Moda.
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