From catwalks in Paris to bathrooms in New York, there is little argument that traditional gender lines are getting fluid. It’s no longer a question of his or hers the runway, the Senate seat, diaper duties or nail polish can be both his and hers.
The buzz revolves around gender ‘fluidity’, ‘neutrality’ and ‘equality’. In fashion, they’re ‘normcore’, ‘androgyny’, or, as one London-based department store calls it, ‘agender’. In horology and jewellery, the style has long been known as ‘unisex’.
Gender fluidity as a movement may have just started, but its seeds were planted long ago. From the first woman to regularly wear trousers in public (and be jailed for it), to the first man to wear blue eye shadow, simply because he wanted to, the trailblazers opened minds and opinions.
Bridal jewellers have long offered unisex engagement rings, for practical purposes. Among watchmaking greats, Patek Philippe was one of the first to recognise that the form and mechanical complexity of its men’s watches appealed to women, too. In 2009, Stephen Webster, on seeing his daughter and her boyfriend dressing the same way, created the Boyfriend collection for both men and women.
Here’s what gender-fluid jewellery looks like today. We include pieces that may have been designed for one gender, but have no problem crossing the male-female divide.
Image opener: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 5227
