How high-fashion and music are colliding to dismantle gender norms.

We live in an era where exploring gender fluidity is welcomed and praised with the likes of Harry Styles and Yungblud challenging gender-norms. Music and high fashion come hand in hand but do they have the power to socially shift constructions and expectations of gender? 

Madonna's 1989 album ‘Like A Prayer’, challenged social norms through fashion, challenging male misogyny and a woman’s position in a male's life through wearing outerwear as underwear with the likes of Jean Paul’s Gaultier cone-bra, impacting the third-wave feminist movement. Whilst the cone-bra enhanced and brought attention to Madonna’s breasts, the spiked design represented a weapon, allowing women to challenge the idea that these feminine features weaken them, and instead offer them greater power dismantling the idea that strong women are simply men-hating ‘bra burners’ but rather championing the idea that to be strong and own your body is sexy.

In his December 2020 cover of Vogue, Harry Styles became the first male to represent the fashion magazine whilst wearing a dress. Styles has not been shy in admitting the enjoyment to be had in playing with clothes and voiced that androgynous fashion is an  extended part of creating something. 

                                                                       

"I think there’s so much masculinity in being vulnerable and allowing yourself to be feminine, and I’m very comfortable with that,” he said. “Growing up you don’t even know what those things mean. You have this idea of what being masculine is and as you grow up and experience more of the world, you become more comfortable with who you are."

Harry Styles, interview with Mcnamara for Vogue (2019)

This did not go unnoticed to the public with a majority of his fans praising Styles, referring to him as ‘gorgeous’ and celebrating the singer’s freedom to express his beliefs that clothing does not have a gender. The question is how could this challenge social construction and gender norms? Compared to the average male influencer seen on Instagram, advocating gym supplements to be strong, Style's is offering young men the opportunity to tune into their femininity; breaking down barriers that men have to remain strong mentally and physically to be powerful and instead, being in touch with your feminine attributes is just as important and socially accepted. Important during a time when male suicide rates are so high. Yungblud is another modern influencer who claims to be androgynous is to be punk, and to be punk is challenging opinions and standing up for what you believe in. 

Call it punk, call it rebellion, I call it high fashion. The next time you are selecting your next wardrobe favourites, think about how your outfit challenges society.