In a welcome shift towards more gender-inclusive representation in the fashion industry, and a historic first for the designer brand, Gucci has introduced a “for them” section to their annual gift guide which draws from their entirely non-binary collection of clothing and apparel.
In the description for the collection, titled “The MX Project,” Gucci asserts that it “set out to deconstruct preconceived binaries and question how these concepts relate to our bodies.”
Gucci MX launched a few months ago and positioned itself as a “gender-fluid” collection, however there were critiques leveled at the brand’s reliance on slim, androgynous models to display the clothing, and the fact that most of the products were already previously available to purchase.
When users access the website’s gift guide page they have a choice between the options, “for her,” “for him,” and for the first time ever: “for them.”
“The house’s collections emphasize the dissolving lines of the gender divide in the name of self-expression,” Gucci’s website states. “Playing with the constructive nature of gender, the MX project underlines the performative nature of what we wear, presenting masculinity and femininity as relative concepts.”
However, Gucci’s move hasn’t been without criticism. Designer and writer José Criales-Unzueta took to Instagram to both applaud and critique the move, writing, “This is the first time in my time in the industry I see a brand do this.”
“I bring this up because it’s a very interesting, and smart, approach at an ‘inclusive’ online Holiday gifting experience,” Criales-Unzueta added.
However, he was also critical of the brand’s intention, adding, “It is of course…an empty capitalist ‘diversity and inclusion’ gesture, and it is safe to say that it is most likely born out of a merchandising strategy to appeal to Gen Z and Millennial queer shoppers rather than a heartfelt effort to make the community feel included.”
Ultimately, Criales-Unzueta concluded, “I find that it ends up having both effects: it both correctly approaches and includes a demographic that is always excluded in Holiday gifting, and it exposes product in yet another way that makes it even easier to shop.”
Users were similarly split on the intent and impact of the move, with one person noting, “I mean it’s definitely nice to have an option since I never have one, but does suck that the ‘them’ section is a photo of multiple people instead of a non-binary model.”
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