Lea T To Revolutionize The Fashion World

Does the transsexual model Lea T epitomize the new ideal of fashion? Is she the ultimate in achieving androgyny?

Fashion is often one of those industries to first adopt, celebrate and promote what is new. Recently, there has been an acceptance and even a fascination with androgyny. It started with a proliferation of menswear-influenced trends, such as the boyfriend jacket, jeans, pants, ties and suits. This masculine interpretation of women’s dressing then transferred into minimalist silhouettes - a merge of men’s wardrobe construction and bold colour palettes that entice both genders as consumers.

As a result, what is defined as male and female fashion blurs. In accordance with fashion’s movement towards genderless wardrobe pieces, models being cast for runway shows and ad campaigns reflect the ambiguity of women who look like men and men who look like women. The use of androgynous models is an intentional visual mixing of genders, the roles that they play and that this fuzzy ambiguity of sexes represents a freshness that reflects a modern society.

There is a real freedom that develops when models are no longer defined simply by a presumed gender. It is representative of a promising time that people will no longer need to be defined solely by their gender and that they will be appreciated simply because they are themselves. This industry provides the ultimate freedom of expression for those that choose to push boundaries, present a new idea or defy a misconception.

Brazilian model Lea T, born a man and transitioning into a woman, is uniquely positioned in the fashion market. Her look is fresh, undefined and raw – she is a transsexual and represents both male and female genders that co-exist. The loneliness of being a female persona trapped inside of a male body has been a journey of self-discovery for the model which is a human attribute that everyone can relate to. Her story of tenacity and willingness to ‘be true to herself’ in the face of criticism makes her success as a model just that much sweeter.

Further, Lea’s look is emblematic of the tolerant time that society is developing into. The lack of defining humans on a gender basis is carried over by other designers, such as Junya Watanabe’s Spring/ Summer 2011 collection, where he sent models down the runway in white masks and hoods, juxtaposed by brightly coloured wigs, all intentionally to disguise their appearance. The model’s identity is irrelevant in comparison to showcasing the clothes. It no longer matters who is wearing the clothing, but how the wardrobe looks in and of itself. Designer Yoji Yamato has consistently presented genderless silhouettes and embraced the freedom that androgyny allows in dress. Edward Buchanan has taken it one step further with his collection called Sansovino 6 a completely unisex line. He was inspired by Givenchy’s model Lea T and designer Riccardo Tisci and their favourite pieces that he reconfigured into knitwear. Buchanan suggests that clothing can be designed based on shape and not by gender confining silhouettes.

The fashion world is the first to embrace the idea of dressing free from labels of gender and enabling consumers to choose forms of dress that reflect their true selves. Identity of the self no longer needs to be conveyed by the way that one dresses. The overlap allows expression in its purest form a freedom to simply be who you are.

Hilary Lauren Fox
		About the author:
		Sometimes she's a redhead, sometimes she's a blonde. Some days it's H&M, and on other days, it's Chanel. What ever the mood, she is a woman who is passionate about the arts, fashion and social media. Born in Toronto, Hilary Lauren Fox is an only child to artist parents - mom was an illustrator and pattern maker, dad was a painter.  Rather then studying the arts as her parents hoped for, Hilary opted for a degree in psychology with dreams of working in a clinical setting. But after graduating she realized that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and that the arts was in her blood, applying her education within the art and fashion world.
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