Androgyny is a fashion company based in California whose mission is to re-engineer menswear to fit the female body. In the wake of the launch of their new Oxford Collection, Nick Santa-Donato chats with founder Melissa Millan on the details and inspirations behind the brand.
So often, we are easily seduced by the glamorous side of androgynous fashion – the heavy hitters of design who are breaking gender boundaries with an artistic brilliance and flare that is ‘in-your-face,’ bold, and utterly fabulous. Take Japanese fashion for example – designers such as Yoji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Junya Watanabe have over the years redefined gender roles in fashion through their unparalleled innovation in pattern, textile, and artistic collaboration. We often look to them (as well as those they have mentored) for fashion that is totally new, original, and otherworldly. However, not every queer-minded or androgynous person is going to run into the nearest Comme Des Garçons and spend $5,000 on a gender-neutral sack made out of various parts of deconstructed jackets, skirts and whatnot (as seen in Comme Des Garçons SS2013 – a collection I am admittedly obsessed with). So what are you supposed to do if all you are looking for is a shirt that fits your body – one that is not masculine, or feminine, but just fits? Evidently the simplest things are often the most difficult to find.
Melissa Millan, founder of Androgyny, asked herself this question multiple times as she left Smith College and entered the world of investment banking at Morgan Stanley. An avid shopper she believed (and still does) that the button down shirt is a core aspect of every androgynous woman’s wardrobe. However, as its fit varies according to a strict sartorial gender divide, the simple button-down can also be the most frustrating to shop for. Melissa found that button down shirts that were made for women were either too feminine (unnecessary, frilly details), too tight, too short or all of the above. On the other hand, she found that men’s shirts were too boxy, hugged the hips so that the rest of the shirt bunched up, or did not leave enough breast room. Not finding any real existing solution in the mass market chain stores, Melissa decided to take matters into her own hands, forego her career as an investment banker and pursue a job at Levi Strauss. After a few years of working, taking fashion classes, and talking to seamstresses about the many apparent differences between men’s and women’s tailoring, the forward thinking designer opened her own line of fashionable button down shirts tailored to the feminine, androgynous body. Thus, the brand Androgyny was born!
Based in California, Androgyny is known not only for it’s unique, custom-like fit, but also for its identity as a locally made and produced brand. Every shirt is hand crafted in small quantities in San Francisco from high quality materials such as Japanese cotton. However, what is most unique and special about Androgyny is the in depth thought that is evident in every detail of an otherwise simple concept – a basic button-down shirt. Perhaps the best way to describe the Androgyny label is ‘brilliant simplicity.’ Aesthetically, Melissa Millan is presenting shirts one might be able to find in certain mass-market, chain stores (namely J-crew). Yet conceptually, she is offering comfort, peace of mind, and a sense of sartorial belonging to a group of individuals previously ignored by the fashion industry. In my opinion, such an accomplishment is indicative of an extremely intelligent designer.
When asked about her goals as a designer, Melissa responded: “For me, it’s all about inspiring personal confidence in the wearers…those who have struggled to find pieces that fit their bodies and identities.” She wants people who wear Androgyny to feel they can “express themselves, wherever they fall on the spectrum.” Such a sentiment deserves recognition. While trends may cycle faster than you can swipe your credit card, real, forward development in fashion (like in other facets of society) does not happen over night. Yet small steps such as those made by companies like Androgyny are contributing to the greater potential for the fashion industry to reshape how society perceives gender and sexuality. So before you settle for another less-than-ideal staple, check out Androgyny’s website where you are sure to be persuaded to make a clothing investment that actually fits.
To browse the collection visit wearandrogyny.com.
Related article: Studio Visit With VEER NYC, A Soon-to-Launch Androgynous Fashion Company
