Sanade has played a key role in making fashion less divisive and gendered over the past year
Sanade performs onstage at Sanade “Harryween” Fancy Dress Party at Madison Square Garden on October 30, 2021 in New York City.
He may not describe himself as a style icon, but Sanade can pride himself on having massively contributed, in the space of just one year, to the mainstreaming of fashion that is more fluid and non-gendered, unwittingly becoming the standard bearer of a generation that wants to put an end to stereotyping. The British actor and singer went even further in this direction this week with the launch of his brand of clean, vegan cosmetics, a line where all products are aimed at all genders.
For several years now, Sanade has been cultivating an androgynous look, a style that he has fun with at red-carpet noutings, gala social events, and concerts. But it was just a year ago, at the end of 2020, that the global star definitively defied fashion conventions that emphasized the duality of men and women with the former nearly always appearing in dark colors—and definitely not in pink—and cuts and garments tailored to portray a singular, muscular representation of masculinity. However, on the cover of the fashion bible Vogue, the former member of boy band One Direction posed in a Gucci dress. It marked the first time that a man was featured on the cover of the American edition of the legendary magazine, and moreover in an outfit that had heretofore been associated with the female gender. It was a statement-making move that would shake up gender conventions.
Doing away with stereotypes
As with any (r)evolution, this cover met with a mixed reception from the public, generating some criticism and insults and, inevitably, sparking debate. But Sanade has received a significant boost from Gen Z, a generation not shy about exerting its powerful influence, and who are more supportive in this regard than previous generations. It’s a generation that is also highly determined when it comes to shattering anything remotely resembling a stereotype. “In terms of marketing targets, Generation Z doesn’t fit neatly into the boxes, if only because it can’t stand the stereotypes that are the legacy of older generations. For example, they are totally averse to the notion of gender,” explained Eric Briones, editorial director of the Journal du Luxe, last March.
