London‘s menswear rising star Bianca Saunders’ designs act as a counterpoint to traditional representations of gender and masculinity, with menswear staples including shirting and trousers reworked with details normally associated with womenswear. The challenges to classic stories of black masculinity are essential to Saunders’ work, extending far beyond the clothing itself. Saunders’ presentation for Fall/Winter 2019 was set in a bedroom, while her Fall/Winter 2020 presentation was inspired by peep shows in London’s Soho. “The idea of secret intimacy has been a massive thread,” Saunders adds. “How do you expose intimacy publicly?”

Your clothes are twists on classic masculinity, bringing in feminine influences. Why is that the approach you went for?

Just as myself, I would like to be able to wear the clothes, but I don’t want it to look like womenswear on men. I want it to look completely different on a man than a woman. I want it to surprise people in terms of what way it can go. I think a lot more now, men are looking for something different.

How does your work try to challenge masculinity?

I think when I try to challenge it, it’s with guys who are slightly feminine who are almost missed out in the conversation around gender. I think it’s through trying to be more subtle, giving it subtle twists and changes.

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