October 20, 2018

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Gender and Fashion Forum hosted by Startup Fashion Week – and what a fantastic experience that was. I have always been a firm believer that fashion is an expression of oneself – an art. One should have the opportunity to dress however they feel is most expressive and true to themselves. The question is whether the fashion industry provides this type of versatility to all consumers.

Though discourse surrounding gender and fashion has flourished over the past few years, corporate retail giants have misunderstood what exactly ungendered clothing entails. Fast-fashion retailers such as Zara and H&M have effectively exploited the discourse surrounding gender neutrality, and implemented genderless lines in stores without fully appreciating why they are doing so. For most corporate giants, gender neutral clothing is just another “trend” – a way to tap into a different market segment in order to increase revenues and profits.

When chatting with Becca, the brilliant mind behind the inclusive fashion label Becca Love, it became clear that globally, we need more brands like theirs to help change the way that the intersection between fashion and gender is understood. Becca creates handmade garments for conscious consumers that are customized to your individual identity.

Mid-panel, Becca asked a question to the audience – “how many times do you go to the washroom per day?” A healthy individual consuming the appropriate amount of water will go to the washroom once per hour. With 24 hours in a day, and assuming a healthy sleeping pattern of 8 hours, this is 16 times that individuals have to choose between a male or female washroom – 16 more times that gender nonconforming individuals will be forced to face the anxiety of having to identify as something they are not sure they are. With public spaces slowly changing and implementing gender neutral washrooms, this anxiety is slightly lessened. Recognizing that this issue is one that spans accross multiple indsutries, Becca works towards furthering individuality and inclusivity through thier genderless fashion brand.

Becca also spoke to the current status of fashion, stressing how the industry is effectively in rambles. Poor quality clothing utilizing exploitive, unethical, and unsustainable techniques is currently running the market. And why? Because this is what consumers want. With the high turnaround of trendy items hitting stores and making appearances on mass-influencers, consumers have been convinced that the fast-fashion era we live in is the best way to shop.

Becca Love is a brand to watch-out for, and one that is bound to make a difference within the Canadian fashion scene. I look forward to chatting with Becca once they are back in Toronto – so make sure to check back in for a follow-up post and collaboration!