In this rich examination of gender fluidity in contemporary fashion design, Judith Beyer develops an emerging new theoretical framework for understanding how fashion can blur and challenge gender boundaries: anti-gender fashion.

How is gender fluidity in contemporary fashion different from 20th century androgyny or millennial unisex styles? Like anti-fashion, which opposes and challenges fashion, Beyer argues that anti-gender fashion seeks to dismantle and confront binary gender signifiers. After tracing the history of gender-blurring fashion from Marlene Dietrich’s androgynous tailoring to Alessandro Michele’s floral Gucci suits, case studies of four high-profile fashion brands reveal the diverse approaches to gender-fluidity in contemporary fashion.

Investigating each case study through multiple theoretical perspectives – from gender studies to gothic horror, cyborg theory to Afrofuturism – Beyer situates anti-gender fashion in a rich theoretical landscape and illuminates exciting new critical directions for students and researchers. Can anti-gender fashion influence the construction of contemporary masculinities and femininities – and can it be a catalyst for change?