THE MEASURE OF A MAN
Riccardo Tisci is changing our perception of modern masculinity through the vernacular of British heritage brand Burberry.
By LAURA BOLT
Recently, the fashion world has been pondering a serious question: Are brands truly reflecting what it means to be a modern man? That query is one that designers are still wrestling with today. Masculinity, and the idea of what it means to be a man, is perhaps most easily, at least in terms of visual shorthand, expressed through one’s clothing. Of course, the rise of streetwear has had a democratizing effect on menswear, but while the proliferation of high-end casualwear was a defining moment in the industry, it was more of a challenge to traditional ideas of luxury and class than it was to conventional notions of masculinity.
Icons like David Bowie, and more recently, Harry Styles, have pushed the boundaries of what a man could wear and even be, but while they have been able to reach the echelons of iconoclasm, their gender fluid style has yet to be reflected in the closets of the average male consumer. It could be argued that the ideals impressed upon women have often trickled down from fashion into the mainstream, but the current moment in menswear seems to be moving in the opposite direction, with more flexible ideas coming out of broader social reforms concerning what men can and should wear beginning to affect the industry. Modern technology, especially social media, where anyone with a mobile device and a Wi-Fi connection can be a brand unto themselves, is slowly remodeling what is possible in menswear. Designers are now opening new parts of their imagination to envision something totally new: the 21st century man.
One designer who has been at the forefront of this reimagining throughout most of his career is Riccardo Tisci, the former Givenchy Creative Director who is now running the show at Burberry as Chief Creative Officer. During his time at Givenchy, Tisci revolutionized the brand with his cutting-edge sensibilities and unconventional ideas of beauty. He also helped to put the house’s menswear offerings on the map, juxtaposing hard streetwear lines and tailoring with delicate fabrics like fuchsia lace - an impressive feat for a designer who has admitted that menswear wasn’t in his original plan. While he may not have envisioned that he would have such an impact on the menswear world, masculinity and a playful approach to gender was always present in his work. Tisci said, “I never made a dress that’s super, 100 percent feminine. You always have, like, a twist, something that’s masculine.”
Androgyny has come more slowly to the menswear world, proof that traditional ideas of gender run deep, even in progressive fashion circles. The idea of “being a man” is often impressed upon boys early in life, with increasing pressure to speak, feel, and of course dress, in a way that affirms their status as strong individuals. Whereas women are generally allowed a wider berth when it comes to androgyny, many men struggle to continually establish traditional notions of masculinity into adult life.
When it comes to gender fluid representation, the fashion industry has not been immune to confusing messaging about what makes a man. Mainstream marketing presents a fairly cohesive narrative about masculinity, yet surveys conducted by CSMM found that only 7 percent of men across the globe relate to version of masculinity they see in the media. But where there’s a problem, there is also an opportunity.
During his time at Givenchy, Tisci was known for his playful approaches to dressing men, including much talked about leather skirts. Subverted masculinity, proving that a man could look just as strong in a skirt as a suit. Tisci’s work inspires many descriptors, including “baroque,” “goth,” and “full of bravado”. One adjective that deserves equal attention might be “boundless,” something that can be readily applied to his views on gender. In Tisci’s world, lace can be as powerful as leather, and the fewer labels the better.
When it came time to take the reins at Burberry, Tisci was met with excitement, and some trepidation. After all, Tisci’s designs were famously dark, ornate, and perhaps more appropriate for the cover of a gothic romance novel than high tea. Burberry however, was a heritage brand, dating back to 1856. If you think about the future of gender-bending men’s style, Burberry might not be it. The quintessentially British brand seemed an oddly sedate arena for Tisci to play in, with its ubiquitous trenches, polos, and classic suiting conjuring up the very image of English propriety. However, it’s important to remember that Tisci is designing in a post-Brexit world, where boundaries are blurring and the sense of what is possible is ballooning as not only a sign of the times, but as a reaction to conservative ideals.
It’s worth noting that Bowie and Styles, along with English designers like Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen, prove that there is a little more creativity in British heritage than we give it credit for. “For me, Britishness is an attitude, a strength, a confidence and a freedom,” said Tisci. “All these British men they’ve always been very chic, very elegant, very free in the way they express themselves but very eccentric.”
Tisci’s work is a testament to how organically - and monumentally - a brand can shift to match the values of the time. After all, when you think about Givenchy post-Tisci, it’s just as easy to associate the brand with Kanye West’s graphic printed Rottweiler tee as Audrey Hepburn’s sleek little black dress. Tisci understands the fragile process of respecting history while bringing it boldly into the modern world. And when it comes to his vision for men in the future, Tisci’s work is already showing us that anything is possible.
According to Tisci, his approach to redefining masculinity as less of a gendered construct has been simmering for a while. “Today you can talk about genderless, but at the time you had menswear for gay people and menswear for straight people. And I was like, ‘I’m gay and I’m not ashamed of it, but I love fashion and I like to wear clothes in these sort of ways, which is very normal, which people call straight,’ which was very stupid for me. So, I started to build around the idea of being confident of your sexuality. A woman can wear men’s suits during the day and a guy can wear a lace shirt - it’s not about the look, it’s about your confidence.”
Tisci lived up to that notion when he opted to use both male and female models to present his latest Burberry menswear collection. He explains, “The women are not there just because I wanted to put girls in the show. But also because I’ve learned that, at Burberry, women buy womenswear, but they also buy the men’s. I found that very interesting - and I am a veteran of that idea, of championing that fluidity. For me, masculinity is the confidence that a man should have in his sexuality, so he doesn’t have to fight or justify his femininity. Being proud and living with his own sexuality.”
Many of Tisci’s ideas about gender are also expressed in several new collaborators he has tapped to join his new creative world and showcase his collections. He has worked with models including performance artist and musician Arca, who defines herself as both “non-binary and a trans-Latina woman,” and LGBTQ pioneer Ladyfag. In fact, Tisci’s embrace of the trans community isn’t just on trend - one of his first muses was Lea T, a trans fit model who he cast in early shows and who has made a successful career for herself as a mainstream model.
With his modeling choices, Tisci not only creates clothes meant for a less gendered future, but also presents the world in which they will be worn. Tisci said that his casting process is about more than just what’s on the outside, and that he favors “a form of strength” over other aesthetic attributes. This approach carefully divorces the idea of strength from “traditional” masculinity, and redefines it at an innate quality that isn’t dependent on your sexuality or visual presentation. In this way, the full range of design options becomes available and able to create a new standard of dressing, no matter how you identify.
Experiencing Tisci’s work is a fascinating reminder that one can recognize elements of tradition, and with them, the past, while arranging them in a way that seems not just current, but also a glimpse into the future. “What for me is very important with Burberry is the fact that this country, in history, is the most representative country of duality,” he said. “You have the Queen, aristocracy, culture, intellectually, the elegance, the perfection. Then you always have this other side. First the punk, then the skinhead. That is the beauty. That is the first thing I want to build at Burberry: [the idea] that Britishness is these two very strong identities. Now that I’m living here, I live in this history. I feel it.” That duality also extends to the idea of masculinity and femininity, two formerly distinct concepts that can become stronger when you remove their constraints and let them mingle together.
“For me today what’s very important is the fluidity of a man and a woman. Men that like playing with their femininity and masculinity,” said Tisci. Only time will tell what fashions he will present to the world, and how far he will push the boundaries he has been already redefining for years. If there’s one thing we can count on, Tisci’s man will continue to surprise, delight, and challenge our ideas about what makes a man to include concepts like kindness, courage, and yes - even femininity.
