Anaël is an Art Direction graduate passionate about gender and disability in fashion, with the former being the subject of her major project. Don’t Forget your Receipt reflects on the question of androgyny and non-binarity in a gendered world. It focuses on fast fashion’s approach to the expansion of the gender spectrum and its impact on mainstream culture and society.
In the past few years, brands have been using “androgynous”, “genderless”, “gender-neutral”, and “unisex” to describe progressive clothing collections.
Throughout their project, Anaël aims to understand the roots of such terms, as well as their place within our gendered society and mainstream fashion. They realised that one cannot talk about androgyny without first understanding in which ways modern society is built and dependant on the gender binary and the gender roles that come with it. Is it truly possible to live in a genderless world? Brands seem to think so or at the very least entertain this possibility. Fast fashion’s apparent desire to distance itself from the gender binary contradicts its androcentric and gendered marketing narratives.
Inspired by manifestos and activist art, Anaël tried to make sense of such a complex issue through writing and 3D art. Don’t Forget your Receipt is both a critique and an encouragement to push existing boundaries.
Fashion has always been a way to push boundaries and reflect on shifting mentalities. However, there are gaping holes in the fashion industry, such as adaptive clothing for disabled people. Anaël works to make fashion fairer and more accessible.