We’ve been seeing a lot of female models on the menswear runways lately and, while it’s always nice to see some of our favorite ladies stomp the catwalk with the fellas, it does seem a little strange to have so many women’s looks shown during what is supposed to be Men’s Fashion Week. It turns out, designers are showing the ladies so much love because, well, business.
According to Business of Fashion, one of the reasons why we’ve seen an influx of women walking men’s runways is because it attracts more womenswear editors to menswear shows. In addition, interspersing women’s looks with men’s is a way for a design house to show its pre-season women’s collections without having to spend money on a separate show or presentation. Plus, adding certain female models to your runway lineup is a great way to garner buzz. Just look at how much coverage came as a result of having Naomi Campbell and Kendall Jenner walk Givenchy’s menswear runway.
MyTheresa’s buying director Justin O’Shea brought up another great point about the menswear/womenswear mix, saying the phenomenon also has to do with the industry’s trend towards androgyny: “With men becoming more feminine and women becoming more masculine, this androgynous development is allowing for one concise, powerful message from the designers.”
[via Business of Fashion]
