NYFW: Calvin Luo Blurs Gender Lines with F/W 2017 Collection

NYFW: Calvin Luo Blurs Gender Lines with F/W 2017 Collection

On February 13, 2017, Chinese fashion designer Calvin Luo debuted a unisex gender-bending collection called, “Asexual“, at NYFW this season. The word was featured among his designs. The idea behind this collection at NYFW was to creatively explore “a natural line between masculine and feminine, aiming to break pre-conceived notions linked to gender identity.” Luo’s main intentions were to break boundaries and sway others to see the true beauty in every individual, making the evolution of gender and sexuality more of a myth.

The models featured were female and male, which perfectly complemented Calvin Luo’s direction of gender equality that fashion can be worn by anyone, regardless of gender. Luo blurred the lines between female and male by sending out male models in dresses over pants and women in sharp male tailoring. There was also casual unisex looks that shown models donning mock turtleneck sweaters, sweatshirts and hoodies, with some featured powerful statements embroidered on the material. One piece that stood out the most to me was a safari sweatshirt that had the words printed across the sleeves in capital letters that said, “not interested in sex.” Others embraced his idea of “Asexuality,” as well as “Not having any sexual qualities.”

His collection incorporated a neutral color palette mixed with velvet, mesh, olive greens, subtle plaids, and pops of color from cobalt to garnet. The unisex collection was dominated by statement coats and flowy skirts. The highlights of attending his “Asexual” Fall/Winter show was seeing some of his statement pieces leaving a lasting impact on the fashion world. Luo elevated their looks with the addition of extra long sleeves and belts.

Once his runway show ended, he took his audience by surprise with a dazzling LED lights show. The lights embodied the room in pink and blue as the models made their way across the runway. Six models wore pieces from his exclusive Lenovo Capsule Collection, a collaborative capsule collection Luo created with the digital-tech company Lenovo. The atmosphere automatically became fun and energetic, as the group of models broke out in synchronized dance moves with the lights flashing in the background. The pieces worn were sporty PVC leather garments that were lightweight. Each had panels LED paper-thin lights, all showcasing different phrases that were beautifully structured. An example that comes to show how tech-fashion is starting to innovate clothing was through the designer’s idea that a mobile app could also allow the wearer type whatever they wanted on the LED template. Even though it was dark to see all of the detail in his garments, I could still make out the faint structures of the pieces with LED lights, but not the trenchcoats, jackets, and dresses. Calvin Luo’s direction of making impactful statements to embracing internal beauty through gender equality and futuristic tech-savvy designs immediately named his collection as one of the most talked about for NYFW. He proved that the future of fashion begins with digital technology, including his unisex garments that will soon evolve in tech-savvy ways.

Calvin Luo was the youngest designer to present a collection at New York Fashion Week. At age 21, he has left a mark of impact on the fashion industry and society itself. From the age of 16, he moved from China to New York to attend Parsons, the new school for Design for 2 years. In 2014, he decided to leave college in the hopes of launching his own fashion label under his name, Calvin Luo. Released in New York City, he experimented with a unisex collection that eventually led him to start a second collection and the most recent, focusing on transferring feminine elements into menswear.