In Woolf's Orlando, the protagonist takes a traveling journey that spans 400 years, many countries, and even between men and women.

The book states: "She changed genders with a frequency that is unimaginable to those who wear only one kind of clothes." And there is no doubt that she has gained a double benefit from these changes: her enjoyment of life has increased, and her life experience has also been enriched. One moment she looks voluptuous in a petticoat, the next she changes into breeches for an honest look."

Such self-awareness awakening, breaking through the inherent constraints of society, and embracing a deeper diversity of life have also set off a wave in the current fashion and beauty world.

If you have paid attention to the 2023 semi-final shortlist of the LVMH Prize, a global young designer competition announced some time ago, you may have found an interesting phenomenon: in the 22 groups of players, nearly half of their brands are defined as "Genderless", that is, "genderless", no longer to distinguish the ownership of design by gender.

Finalist Nigerian designer Faith Oluwajimi, founder of the brand Bloke, said in an interview, "I believe that clothing should not be limited to gender in terms of its purpose as an object. I enjoy designing clothes for people of different genders and breaking down stereotypes related to gender and identity."

While the moves of the LVMH Prize are not entirely representative of the fashion world, consider it a microcosm of the nascent design forces.

Looking at the finalists and winners of each edition of the awards, now in its 10th year, trends in fashion design are evident: from the initial separation of men's and women's clothes to the emergence of gender-neutral fashion in recent years.

The distinction between men and women in clothing seems to be a common sense that has not been explored for thousands of years, and these young designers who have grown up in an unprecedented open and diverse social atmosphere are tearing off the inherent labels of fashion, breaking the stereotypes, and setting off a subversive journey from skin color, body shape to gender.

To find out more about their thinking, we also spoke to the founders of two Chinese designer brands that focus on gender-neutral fashion, PONDER.ER and AO YES.

PONDER.ER designers Pugalin and Zheng Zhongxi met while studying at Central Saint Martins College of Art in London.

At that time, both men felt that there were more norms in men's wear, and designers had relatively little room to play, so they began to explore non-traditional men's wear.

After returning to Shanghai after graduation, after a period of observation, Pujialin and Zheng Zhongxi found that the Asian market lacked discussion and attention to the topic of genderlessness, "the concept of genderlessness has a very close relationship with our respective lives, growth experiences and creative direction, so that the challenge of gender stereotypes as the starting point for brand creation." Thus, the brand PONDER.ER came into being in 2019.

AO YES, founded in 2022, skipped the gender game.

At the beginning of the establishment, Wang Yingchao and Liu Yansong, the founders of the fashion industry with many years of experience, established the direction of breaking boundaries and shackles and building a shared wardrobe for men and women, "We hope that you can freely and diversified choose AO YES products, let go of the general gender concept of the definition of style, more is in the individual psychological identity of clothing styles with gender differences." Men and women can choose each other's styles to express their own ideas and personalities."

The so-called erasing gender traces and creating gender-free fashion does not mean a simple one-size-fits-all treatment, and the process of real practice is actually full of challenges.

The difference in body shape between men and women has laid multiple challenges for the design of tailoring, details, size Settings and other levels. Only through repeated preliminary research and continuous fitting adjustment can a truly diverse and inclusive gender-free fashion be presented, allowing the wearer to express themselves comfortably and freely.

PONDER.ER's signature folding process, for example, uses rubber band lines to twist the inherent shape of the garment, which also brings flexible and elastic characteristics.

With the buttons and opening and closing details found in many products, the wearer can wear them in different ways according to their body shape and preferences. In PONDER.ER's view, "genderless" has an unconventional meaning.

"In this day and age, why should there be a gender divide in clothing? In a genderless world, there is more emphasis on the individual's self-form than on the biological characteristics that define one's personality and position in society."

Therefore, whether pioneer, lovely, cool, in line with the traditional aesthetic, challenge the social paradigm, as long as it can make themselves feel comfortable and happy from the inside out, can become a sparkling style in the gender-free fashion world.

AO YES released the Spring/Summer 2023 collection during Shanghai Fashion Week, and the two designers not only invited a number of their friends as models to show the new season's fashion, but also matched the corresponding look according to each person's personality and self-identification attributes, in order to stimulate their own unique understanding and interpretation of the clothing.

The two said, "These living individuals in all areas of life are more able to express the concept of 'genderlessness' that AO YES wants to convey."

Through the vision and products of AO YES, we can reach more people with the same world view, weaken the inherent gender differences and constraints, and also promote the expression of self-identity."

In January this year, PONDER released a new Autumn/Winter 2023 collection in Paris, focusing on the prevailing American preppy style from the 1990s to the millennium, exploring the influence of fashion and media on gender stereotypes and the portrayal of male traits.

Instead of presenting a look that the public is already familiar with, the duo chose to replace the memory of these classic pieces with the brand's signature fabrics, cuts and craftsmanship.

For example, using the previously introduced pleating process to transform flight jackets, jeans, college hoodies, etc., decisively remove the signs of clothing given by history, culture, or today's society.

"We want to use fashion to redefine elements of mainstream culture that are loved by young men and women, and to find the aesthetic of gender fluidity that is' incompatible '."

Whether it is the two groups of designers who share the topic of gender-free fashion this time, or the broader group of designers at home and abroad, they are telling us with practical actions: the function of clothing is constantly upgrading and evolving.

It used to help people accept the body, today it encourages people to embrace themselves, the body is not a limit, gender is not a constraint.