For centuries now, men’s fashion has been associated with simplicity and functionality, nowhere near as decorative and ornamental as womenswear. Fine tailoring, three-piece suits, and in recent years, elements of streetwear have graced the menswear runways of luxury fashion houses for decades. These hallmarks of menswear have dominated fashion since the 19th century, when men’s fashion saw a shift from the colourful, decadent styles of the past. Today, menswear looks entirely different. In an aesthetic sense, men’s dress is returning to the decadence and vivacity of the 17th and 18th century with a modern twist. Menswear designers are subverting gender norms and notions of masculinity through dress, playing with ideas of unisex fashion and androgyny. This revolution in men’s clothing is happening at a time when visibility and acceptance of trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people is at an all-time high. Discourses surrounding gender and sexuality have slowly entered the binary world of fashion, with small businesses, high-street brands, and luxury fashion houses attempting to break down the barriers regarding how people should dress according to their gender expression.

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In menswear, this movement towards gender fluidity in fashion is monumental, as men’s dress has historically been designed in a manner that appealed to those afraid of appearing too feminine. Devoid of ornament, suits and blazers became staples of the fashionable man’s closet until recently, when both designers and the people that wear those designs decided to ignore societal views of gender and the way gender manifests itself through dress. A pioneer of this fashionable shift away from the binary is Adebayo Oke-Lawal, founder of the Nigerian label Orange Culture. Originally created as a subversive menswear label in 2011, Oke-Lawal’s vision and concept for the brand has seen his designs become increasingly androgynous. Far from the post-apocalyptic styles and dreary colour palettes that are associated with genderless clothing today, bold colours, eye-catching prints, and unique silhouettes fill every Orange Culture collection. Oke-Lawal draws from traditional Nigerian fabrics and styles, incorporating different universal elements into his modern, fresh take on genderless fashion. Orange Culture has paved the way for other Nigerian menswear designers looking to challenge the rigid structure of gender normativity in the industry. The clothing is described as that which tells a story. In Nigeria, the progressive designs make a bold and powerful statement. 

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The criminalisation of homosexuality and queer identity in many African countries continues to suppress the voices of African members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Of the 54 countries that make up the continent, same-sex relationships are legal in only 22, with relationships only being formally recognised in South Africa. In Nigeria, former president Goodluck Jonathan approved the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill (SSMPA) in 2014, making not only same-sex marriages, but relationships and any “public show of same-sex amorous relationship” punishable by law. In some states, infringement of the SSMPA is a death sentence. Despite this, queer Nigerians have fought to make their voices heard in the face of a government intent on silencing them. In October 2020, in the midst of the #ENDSARS movement that galvanized the diaspora, young members of the LGBTQIA+ community took to the streets of cities throughout Nigeria to protest against police brutality and for the rights of the queer people who are disproportionately arrested. Popular internet personalities and LGBTQIA+ activists spoke out about their experiences with the police, sharing stories of being stopped for “looking gay,” or jailed for hours so that authorities could look through their phones for any incriminating evidence. At #ENDSARS demonstrations, some activists were accosted by fellow protestors for flying rainbow flags or holding posters in support of LGBTQIA+ rights. In a country rife with homophobia, dressing in a manner that rejects binary clothing norms and draws from both the feminine and the masculine is not only a statement, but an act of resistance.

In conversations surrounding unisex fashion, Africa is woefully overlooked. What is seen as groundbreaking in Paris and Milan can easily be found in Lagos and Accra. The push for unisex fashion and a genderless industry in the West has been, for the most part, underwhelming, with brands releasing different versions of the seemingly same idea. Orange Culture is one of many African brands reimagining the drab, shapeless unisex fashion that Western brands promote, creating colourful, tailored styles that appeal to anyone and everyone. The impact that Orange Culture has had on Nigerian fashion in the last ten years is undeniable. Oke-Lawal brought his distinct idea of genderless fashion to the continent. Next stop: the world.