Gender Neutral Fashion With Purpose
Image: Neutrale
Important work is being done to break down gender stereotypes, and fashion labels are catching on. We’ve found 7 gender neutral fashion brands that also have a purpose.
If fashion is truly for everybody, then fashion shouldn’t require a binary gender. Style is there to amplify a person’s inner flair, so isn’t it reductive that we ask it to tick one of only two boxes? There’s plenty of evidence that style, fashion and identity go hand in hand. To fully embrace the creative potential that made us fall in love with fashion in the first place, we need to reject the gender binary that is constraining freedom of expression and, more than anything, happiness, wellbeing and joy. Recently there has been a very welcomed conversation around gender-neutral fashion, and we wanted to provide our readers with some of the brands that make us passionate about being part of this exciting industry.
These seven gender-neutral, inclusive brands are doing good for the planet and crafting gorgeous pieces that could belong in everyone’s closet. Don’t let anyone else dictate what you’re supposed to wear, and keep in mind that fashion is made to make you feel good in your own skin.
Aissata Ibrahima
Established in late 2019, Aissata Ibrahima is focused on creating modern, timeless pieces with an edge, through the reinvention of classic shapes and thoughtful design. They’re described as “clothes to make you feel good and designed to last”. The collections are inspired by classical tailoring and research involving the complexity of love and relationships. Aissata plays with contrasting design elements that break down traditional boundaries in gendered apparel by endowing strength to femininity and delicacy to masculinity. To add a sustainable approach to production, all their pieces are currently Made To Order. They also provide custom & bespoke service, happy to adjust their designs to a special occasion, or the every day you.
Neutrale
Neutrale is a Madrid-based sustainable and gender neutral label. They create timeless, genderless, everyday essentials in clothing, accessories and objects. Pieces they describe as living “outside the strenuous noise of the destructive fashion wheel”. They draw inspiration from the Mediterranean aesthetic and the effortless simplicity of its beauty. All of the products are made with organic, natural and recycled materials. As well as natural dyes which create incredible colour palettes unique to the brand. At Neutrale, they don’t work with seasonal collections or sales, focusing rather on mindful consumption, delivering long-lasting quality products with a small footprint.
Bad Habits
This London brand is here to break your Bad Habits. Founded by Porscha Hill, Bad Habits was created because she couldn’t find gender neutral options for her non conforming friends. After that, her main goal with the label is to provide the most ethical fashion pieces with meaningful design and minimum environmental impact. The ethos of Bad Habits is positivity. Porsche believes that we are “living in a world where clothes don’t define you but make you feel and look good”. Every piece they craft is custom dyed with natural, plant based dyes. Only limited quantities are produced as exclusivity is the key to minimising the waste. Each design is intended to be worn by anyone who feels drawn to it.
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Tonlé
Through a sustainable, zero-waste process, Tonlé creates clothing, accessories and homewares from reclaimed materials that other manufacturers consider waste. Their values of circularity and climate justice aim to mitigate the fashion industry’s devastating impact on the planet. They want their customers to consider themselves partners in changing the fashion industry: essentially you are voting with your wallet! They make products that last and represent everybody. Their collaboration with Brooklyn based Black queer influencer Plant Kween is a celebration of colour and print. Thus proving that you don’t need to erase your personality to express your gender through fashion.
IJJI
The name IJJI comes from a Japanese word イージーパンツ, meaning any loose-fitting drawstring pant. IJJI is a quintessentially genderless clothing label founded in 2016. Its focus is on natural fibres, beautiful colours and versatile silhouettes. As a brand, it’s committed to growing slowly and responsibly, rejecting the idea that more is better, establishing itself as a label that will be considered and purchased with care. Everything is manufactured close to their studios in California, ensuring a responsible and ehtical supply chain. The beautifully tailored pieces can be worn by anyone, depending only on your size and how you like your clothes to hang.
MONO + n.a.v.y
MONO + n.a.v.y is a London based brand and the brainchild of designer Jackie Lee. It was created to observe no season, no boundary, and create no waste. We love that Jackie’s new lifestyle label designs everything the sustainable way, ensuring you don’t have to give up nice things if you care about the environment. Wine bags made from repurposed trims and BCI cotton hoodies sit alongside each other, season-less and responsibly made. The timeless pieces are designed in East London and manufactured in South Korea, bringing together lifestyle products alongside ready-to-wear items. They are not bound by seasons, but they follow a sustainability-focused frame of mind. The ultimate goal of the label is a zero waste approach to inclusive designs.
Pangaia
Pangaia is the trendy sweater brand elevating WFH wear as everyday essentials for all occasions. Pangaia defines itself as a “materials science company on a mission to save our environment”. That’s why in their team you’ll find fashion designers as well as scientists and technologists, collaborating to create designs with innovative tech and bio-engineered materials. The range uses bio-based, recycled fibres and innovative materials, combining natural botanical dyes made from natural sources, such as plants, with innovative antibacterial peppermint to help it stay fresh for longer. Gender neutrality is baked into the brand, PAN means all-inclusive, making clothes that represent beauty in all forms.
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Disclaimer: The people and models in the images featured are not associated with The Vendeur and do not endorse it or the products shown. This post may contain affiliate links. Prices correct at time of publishing.
