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This report touches on the themes of androgyny and unisex

fashion that have been emerging since 2011.

Archetypes or stereotyping around femininity versus masculinity

are a consistent source of inspiration for artists and designers.

Discussions about gender can be inextricably linked to subjects

such as identity, sexuality and even political policies – this largely

referring to the American legalisation of gay marriage.

This trend is seen across popular culture, for example the

Givenchy kilt worn by Kanye West in 2012, and can be linked to

the favoured elongated T-shirt silhouette. In 2014, gender-

ambiguous singer Conchita Wurst won the Eurovision Song

Contest for Austria. With the media craze at its height surrounding

famous trans women such as Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox,

popular culture and those that are part of it help push the zeitgeist

in this new direction. This shift in thinking allows us to consider

genderless fashion as something far more fluid and limitless.

Explore some of the best genderless stores and labels around

the globe.

City by City > Special Reports


​APC
123 West Ninth Street 90015
1 424 252 2762
Neighbourhood: Downtown LA
This Parisian classic offers crisp cut slacks,
jackets and shirt dresses in a minimalist setting.
Known for its stiff denim, APC offers a number of
styles that are labelled as unisex. This particular
store is merchandised gender-neutrally, so
shoppers may choose based on style as
opposed to gender.

​AMERICAN APPAREL URBAN OUTFITTERS


701 Ocean Front Walk 90291 810 South Broadway 90014
1 310 396 3332 1 213 627 7469
Neighbourhood: Venice/Abbot Kinney Blvd Neighbourhood: Downtown LA
This periodically controversial store has certainly Tapping into the growing unisex market, this lifestyle multi-
played its part in the genderless fashion brand store pushes genderless items from brands such
movement. Recently the brand brought out a as BDG, Feathers and Shades of Grey, and offers great items
unisex T-shirt line that sparked a debate around for juniors.
the sexist marketing of the retailer. Advertising
depicted the male model in a neutral fashion,
while the female model assumed a sexy pose
with a semi-exposed breast.

City by City > Special Reports


​INTERNATIONAL PLAYGROUND
463 Broome Street
1 212 228 2323
Neighbourhood: SoHo
This international multi-brand store blurs the lines
between art, commerce and fashion. The store
offers a wide array of brands that disregard
gender when designing their collections.
Offerings include unisex styles from New
Zealand-based fairtrade organic brand Kowtow. ​

​OPENING CEREMONY ​PERSONNEL OF NEW YORK


33-35 Howard Street 9 Greenwich Avenue
1 212 219 2688 1 212 924 0604
Neighbourhood: SoHo Neighbourhood: West Village
Opening Ceremony has embraced some of the This bricks-and-mortar store in the West Village focuses on
most-buzzed-about, avant-garde labels and now genderless retail and offers unisex lines from LA-based 69 and
stocks unisex brand Kye. Designer Kathleen Kye, New Zealand-based Kowtow. Its e-commerce site offers a
a Korean pop icon, launched the brand, which is genderless shopping option with a section entitled 'everyone'.
influenced by hip-hop. The label combines men’s
and women’s silhouettes, while garments are
created with no designated wearer in mind. The
brand is originally from Seoul.

City by City > Special Reports


​VFILES
12 Mercer Street
1 212 804 6400
Neighbourhood: SoHo
Co-owned by Johnny Pizzolato and Virginia Craddock, VFILES stocks both emerging and
established brands that don't design for specific genders, including Hood by Air, Pigalle and
7115 by Szeki.

OAK
55 Nassau Avenue
1 718 782 0521
Neighbourhood: Brooklyn: Williamsburg/Greenpoint
From Pratt and Parsons comes Oak. Owners Louis Terline and Jeff Madalena opened their
first store together in 2003, with this New York staple emerging following a few moves and
renaming. The minimalistic store houses the brand’s sought-after contemporary wares for
both sexes, as well as lots of genderless styles.

City by City > Special Reports


​UNTITLED & CO
438 Queen Street West
1 647 352 3114
Neighbourhood: King West/Queen West
Untitled and Co's colourful streetwear collections feature unisex sweats and T-shirts,
often with controversial prints. The brand evolved from a photography project, meaning
the aesthetic is a hit on social media. The shop also stocks brands such as Religion and
Boy London.

​PARLOQUE
1093 Queen Street West
1 647 341 5540
Neighbourhood: West Queen West
This young brand and shop offers genderless styles designed to free the wearer of traditional
labels and boundaries. The brand goes beyond offering clothing; the vision is about
encouraging directional thinking and artistic innovation. Alongside its own collection it also
stocks brands such as Willis Chan, whose unisex line combines high fashion with an athletic,
tech element.

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​NOBODY HAS TO KNOW
Ceintuurbaan 320
31 (0)304300516
Neighbourhood: Rembrandtplein / Canals
This Amsterdam-based brand's philosophy is to ‘blur the lines of age, size and gender’
through garment. Founders Hannah van Dijck and Jiske Snoeks offer store space to other
brands, both new and vintage, in a bid to create a sense of community.

​HEMA
Nieuwendijk 174
31 (0)206234176
Neighbourhood: City Centre
This culturally inspiring Dutch department store hired androgynous Serbian trans model
Andrej Pejic to star in one of its product campaigns, modelling a push-up bra.

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ESTHER PERBANDT
Almstadtstrasse 310119
49 (0)30 8853 6791
Neighbourhood: Mitte/Hackescher Markt
This designer brand creates androgynous yet
sophisticated designs.

​OUKAN ​UY STUDIO


Kronenstrasse 71 10117 Falckensteinstrasse 43 10997
49 (0)30 2062 6700 49 (0)151 7188 8950
Neighbourhood: Mitte/Friedrichstrasse Neighbourhood: Kreuzberg
This modern concept store features up-and- UY Studio offers simple, affordable, unisex garments. All
coming avant-garde collections for both men and garments are black – sometimes made from fetish materials –
women, with a cutting-edge, genderless and everything is handmade.
aesthetic. Labels to watch include Concis, a
Berlin-based brand with Vietnamese roots.
Designer Hoai Vo, who grew up in Belgium,
sums up the label's ethos by saying: “If femininity
is the heart of Concis, its soul is a contemporary
experiment with traditional shapes.”

City by City > Special Reports


​SELFRIDGES/AGENDER
400 Oxford Street W1A 1AB
44 (0)80 0123 400
Neighbourhood: Oxford Street/Regent Street
Selfridges' Agender initiative explored the masculine, the feminine and the interplay between
them with clothes that did not reveal the gender of the intended wearer. Due to the success
of the initiative, Selfridges is now reviewing whether or not to introduce it in-store and
online on a permanent basis.

CELESTINE ELEVEN
4 Holywell Lane EC2A 3ET
44 (0)20 3222 0602
Neighbourhood: Shoreditch High Street
This enchanting store stocks everything from lifestyle products to beauty and fashion –
particularly cutting-edge local brands such as JW Anderson, a designer known for
incorporating more feminine silhouettes into menswear. Anderson says he does not do this to
shock his audiences, as if that were his intention he would take it a step further.

City by City > Special Reports


​RAD HOURANI
75 Rue Charlot 75003
33 (0)980903796
Neighbourhood: Le Marais
Non-conservatism is the concept behind Rad Hourani's unisex collections. Famous for his
unconventional use of materials and colours, the designer constructs silhouettes that often
focus on the waist without being overtly masculine or feminine.

​COLETTE
213 rue Saint Honore 75001
33 (0)155353390
Neighbourhood: Saint-Honoré

A must-visit for on-trend, avant-garde fashion, Colette stocks need-to-know labels from
around the globe, including unisex footwear brand Soloviere. The brand was dreamt up
by designer A Aubert, who has worked for brands such as Christian Louboutin and
Mulberry. The store stocks unusual footwear silhouettes for men, which are also
available in women’s sizes.

City by City > Special Reports


​SAN FRANCISCO: ANDROGYNY
904 22nd Street
1 415 766 0434
Neighbourhood: Mission
Androgyny offers wardrobe staples designed to
meet the sensibilities of androgynous women.
Genderless shirts feature a ‘boob button’ that
minimises the gaps that other shirts often create. ​

​SÃO PAULO: CARTEL 011 ​SEOUL: DOOTA


R. Artur de Azevedo, 517 (100-730) Doosan Tower, 275, Jangchungdan-ro
55 11 3081 4171 82 (0)2 3398 3314
Neighbourhood: Pinheiros Neighbourhood: Jung-gu
This multi-brand store offers a range of styles Doota is a leading multiplex fashion mall that promotes high
and labels ranging from casual to trend, including quality at reasonable prices. Both famous Korean designers’
unisex label Trend, which refuses to conform to second-brand shops and local labels are stocked, including
either gender. The brand also experiments with South Korean brand 87mm, which offers seasonal collections
unconventional ways of producing garments. and great basics featuring clean lines and unisex silhouettes.
Unisex label Ben is stocked here, offering
statement pieces that contrast black and white
designs in architectural silhouettes.

City by City > Special Reports


​TOKYO: EDIFICE
6-23-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
81 (0)3 3400 2931
Neighbourhood: Shibuya
Edifice boutique stocks both its own-label collection and select imported pieces. One such
brand, Aile, responds to the growing genderless market by offering neutral-toned pieces in
simple shapes and high-quality fabrics.

​STOCKHOLM: STUTTERHEIM
Åsögatan 132
46 840810398
Neighbourhood: Sodermalm
Stutterheim designs with high functionality in mind. There is no distinct difference between
genders, and male and female models are shown wearing the same styles. This Swedish
brand offers outerwear ranging from sizes XXXS to XXL.

City by City > Special Reports


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