Redefining Style: How Fashion Schools Are Leaving Gender Behind

For over half a century fashion education has been organized by strict male. Design programs often separated students into menswear and womenswear tracks, reinforcing the idea that clothing for men and women should be fundamentally different. This division wasn’t just practical—it was cultural, shaped by decades of marketing, societal norms, and outdated assumptions about identity and expression.

In the last few years, a groundswell of change has been gaining momentum across global institutions. The shift from gendered to gender-free fashion education is not just a trend—it’s a essential paradigm shift.

Students today are more aware than ever of the fluidity of gender and the narrowness of gendered apparel norms. They are building garments around form, not gender assumptions. They are crafting wearables that honor individual expression over societal boxes.

This philosophy is redefining pedagogy. Schools are removing the artificial walls between menswear and womenswear studios. Instead, courses now focus on design principles like fit, texture, and adaptability, بازیگران ایرانی untethered from binary assumptions.

Instructors are encouraging students to question why certain colors are assigned to certain genders or why tailoring is considered masculine while draping is seen as feminine. They are bringing in guest speakers from nonbinary and trans communities to share firsthand experiences of clothing as identity.

Students are learning to design with inclusivity in mind—not as an afterthought, but as a foundational principle.

The shift is embodied in final-year portfolios. Runway shows no longer divide looks by gender. Models of diverse backgrounds wear the shared ensembles, and the focus shifts from the assigned gender to the wearer’s sense of empowerment.

This has led to more creative risk-taking. Designers are exploring genderless forms, customizable structures, and transformable garments. The result is clothing that is freer in form and richer in meaning.

Brands are finally following suit. Major brands are abandoning binary advertising in favor of inclusive collections. Retailers are removing gendered signage and sectioning.

Once a follower, fashion pedagogy is now at the forefront of change.

Progress meets entrenched opposition. Some educators and institutions still defend outdated pedagogical models, arguing that specialization is necessary for mastery. But the reality is that technical skill thrives beyond binary labels. A student can master pattern drafting for tailored coats without being told those coats are only for men. They can engage with soft forms without being told they’re "for her".

This evolution isn’t about denying gender, but about transcending its limitations. It’s about educating designers to serve people, not assumptions. It’s about recognizing that clothing is not a mirror of identity but a canvas for it.

As classrooms become more inclusive, the next generation of designers is learning that the greatest design is the one that grants liberation. And that freedom begins with the values embedded in their training.