The Best Gender Fluid Fashion Brands
Gender Fluid and Non-binary fashion have always existed in the world of fashion. It isn’t a trend but a representation of fashion’s most influential groups: young and queer people of color. As fashion and society have expanded and blurred the lines of gender, more and more brands have come out with an interpretation of gender-fluid and gender-inclusive clothing. As the conversation around gender expands, more and more fashion brands are popping up with lines strictly for gender inclusivity. Unfortunately, some brands have taken the idea of gender inclusivity into meaning bland neutral colors with tasteless non-form-fitting clothes. However, if you want to find some fun, vibrant, and REAL gender-fluid clothing, the three best brands that genuinely deserve some praise are listed below:
Boy Smells
“Sensuous, accessible, and bright, Boy Smells products elevate your intimate world. Packaged in pink and conceived beyond the gender binary, our full-bodied fragrances and intimate apparel make loving your identity a daily ritual.” - Boy Smells
Established in 2015, Boy Smells was an experiment of candle-making in a Los Angeles kitchen with co-founders Mathew Herman and David Kien. After a while, in 2017, they launched a new intimate’s line called Unmentionable that sells bras and panties. The brand was created to make things they would use daily and basic products that were fluid, essential, and accessible. Soon the co-founders are planning to expand their brand into more than just a fragrance and intimate line and reach more significant milestones.
The brand is currently carried in over 750 retail locations (like Nordstrom and Sephora) and across 35 countries on six continents, which the brand praises as a significant stride towards the idea of gender being not only a Western conversation but a worldwide conversation
Collusion
“…Collusion has been shaped by a new generation of creatives who are unafraid to demand something different from fashion. We are driven by inclusivity, committed to collaboration, and passionate about experimentation.” - Collusion
Collusion was launched in 2018 by the retailer ASOS. It is a unisex collection of cute trendy, yet very affordable clothing that is animal free and offers inclusive sizing (up to 4XL). The label prides itself in creating clothes that celebrate and praise the people wearing them. The label was shaped by six young designers, models, artists, and influencers who worked daily to make the brand what it is now.
Six months after the initial launch date, the label became highly successful. It allows ASOS to gain huge sales from the label’s vibrant, fun, spunky clothing line that continues to expand.
The Phluid Project
“We strive to amplify the rising voice of today’s youth, which rejects binary gender norms and favors an inclusive world that allows individuals to wear what makes them feel good.” - The Phluid Project
Rob Smith launched the Phluid Project in NYC in 2018, inspired by his heritage as a third-generation Native American from the Ojibwa tribe. He created it to honor the Two Spirit Indigenous leaders of the past and present. He wanted the brand to strictly make gender-free apparel and accessories available worldwide. He wanted to join a movement devoted to challenging the “ethos of dated traditions that inhibit freedom and self-expression, embarking on a mission to improve humanity through not only fashion, but also community outreach, activism, and education.”
The Phluid Project is the world’s first gender-free store that partners exclusively with brands supporting and celebrating the non-binary, like Levi’s and Nike. The brand has a growing inventory of over 50+ brands plus a budding private label, allowing for a massive increase in sales growth.
These fashion brands are the brands of the future. They are the brands willing to take on the old rhetoric of what gender was to what gender truly is: a social construct that can be defined however one wants to be defined in the world.
