Masculin Pluriel is a global market research initiative examining the sociocultural evolution of men and their relationship with their personal appearance and fashion.

Commissioned by Première Vision, the world’s leading appeal textile fair, the study was conducted by l’Institut Françias de la Mode (IFM) and Risk International. It focuses on a key macroeconomic trend: the menswear market, though smaller, was showing stronger growth potential compared to the larger womenswear market, which was stagnating and even declining. The study aimed to uncover latent market needs, tackle challenges, and identify new opportunities within the dynamic menswear sector.

At the invitation of Patricia Romatet, Director of Studies at l’IFM, I joined the multidisciplinary team to develop and structure a qualitative research methodology, curate a list of influential menswear designers, retailers, journalists, and thought leaders across key fashion markets, conduct, analyze, and synthesize interviews in Paris, London, Antwerpen and New York (while other team members covered Milan and Tokyo), and art direct the final written report and presentation.  

This collaboration allowed me to solidify my expertise in men's fashion while exploring my interest in film as a medium for documentation, as I proposed to film the interviews.

I had the privilege of sitting face-to-face and diving into the creative processes of 40 menswear luminaries such as Thome Browne, Paul Smith, Jean-Paul Knott (Cerruti), Gustavo Lins, and authority figures from Paul & Joe, Kitsuné, Yves Sant Laurent, L’Eclaireur, Maria Luisa, Harrods, Jeffrey’s NY, IF Soho, the New York Times, Herald Tribune, WallPaper, FIT Museum, Fashion Museum Antwerp …
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While my observations are limited to the interviews I conducted, I outline my key PERSONAL takeaways below.

Men: Evolving Landscape

Men have traditionally exhibited a limited interest in and access to style and aesthetics, perceiving classic Italian and English tailoring, along with practical dressing, as the only socially acceptable fashion choices. This association closely linked masculinity to a uniform.

Since the 1960s and accelerated post 9/11, younger generations, influenced by globalization, the democratization of technology, immediate exposure to digital media, and cultural movements in music, film, and art, have become more aware of their physique and gradually prioritized self-care, healthier lifestyles, fitness, and grooming.

Breaking away from past stigma, this shift in body culture—once perceived as feminine—rejected the status quo and opened the door to confident, playful masculinity as a means of self-improvement.

Once incompatible with the archetype of the responsible adult family heterosexual man, the modern male, sensitive to aesthetics, began to take pride in his appearance and audaciously embraced youth culture. Autonomous and savvy, men now invest in themselves not only to meet societal expectations but also to celebrate freedom by projecting their inner selves outwardly and enhancing their character without overshadowing it.

This dual motivation has transformed menswear, accessories, skincare, cosmetics, and even men-specific surgical procedures into socially acceptable tools for boosting self-confidence and delivering a competitive edge, making men active participants in consumer culture who shop free of judgment. The ideal man is self-assured, authentic, and confident in his own Plural Identities.

"My man is a true individual, just somebody that is very confident and very much his own person. He does not listen to nor does he follow any other person's ideas. He really lives his own life." Thom Browne.

The promising future of the men’s market, freed from the constraints of the uniform and past taboos, does not suggest a logical generational handover but rather a cross-generational obsession with the same youth culture that sparked the tectonic shift in behaviors —a culture rooted in "superior taste", celebrity reverence, and the pursuit of eternally athletic, lean, and “natural” bodies, often at any cost.

This newfound “freedom” may feel more like pressure than true liberation, challenging tastemakers to respond with bold creativity as they align with men’s increasing style budgets and raising expectations for accelerated seasonal updates, faster-paced product launches, enhanced accessibility, and further democratization in a world of speed for speed and no other purpose.

The Rise of a Disruptive Generation

The impact of catching up with body-conscious behaviors made rigid masculinity less relevant and gave rise to a disruptive Trans-Verse Generation looking to defy binary archetypes and dismantle categorizations.

In essence, Tans-Verse men are transversally gender fluid and stylistically versatile.

This curious evolution meant an inversion of traditional gender values. Historically, women were driven to raise their voices to claim post-war values of empowerment and authority, entering the power dynamics of the workforce, and borrowing menswear tailoring. Conversely, men expressed their softer side, demanding “brand equal treatment” and a liberal wardrobe that borrows bolder colors, flashier patterns, more tactile fabrics, and fluid silhouettes from womenswear aesthetics. Poetic Androgyny, initially limited to niche audiences, made men more approachable and less intimidating, quickly gaining wider acceptance.

"Men dressing with feminine elements like softer colors or fitted styles align with a world where aggression is uncool." Phillip Brewnan, IF Soho Buyer.

The AIDS crisis accelerated this open-minded desire for style parity. Threatened, the valuable contribution of gay culture in art, fashion, and design was adopted by mainstream media and digital instantaneity, introducing it into increasingly interracial and inter-ethnic households. This led to a certain normalization of sexual expressions beyond sexual orientation that enriched the social landscapes and paved the way to diversity and inclusiveness.  

Thus reflecting a broader dialogue beyond heteronormalization, gender role disruption, and the negation of archetypes imposed by sociologists, into the unchartered territory of plural self-identification.

This emergent hyperconnected and hyper-fragmented generation self-identifies as He/Him/His, She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Thers, Ze/Zir/Zirz, Xe/xem/Xyrs, and more. They paradoxically embrace “His/Her/Their/Zirz/Xyrs touches” as the essence of their identity itself. In other words, a fluid expression of masculinity seems to be imploding into a post-genital-gender era, shattering traditional archetypes into an ever-expanding spectrum of self-assumed sometimes un-gendered pronouns, each demanding its own style possibilities. In this context, the older “metrosexuals”, “dandies”, “bohemians”, and others who continue to wishfully cling to youth culture may find it difficult to stay current.

“The future of menswear lies in breaking down traditional gender norms. Men want clothing that reflects their personalities, not outdated stereotypes.” Thom Browne

This rejection of tradition and categorizations does not imply the eradication of classism or good taste at the expense of a generation of ungendered, clothing-fluid plurisexuals. Rather Trans-Verse masculinity represents a tangible evolution of unmet desires, pushing designers and retailers to rethink their strategies. To strive, brands know they have to move beyond copy-paste industrialized branded products to the realm of SOMETHING AS DIFFERENT, EXPERIMENTAL, OPEN-MINDED, AND DISRUPTIVE as the malleable plurality of this emerging niche. The challenge lies in catering to the radically different His, Hers, Theirs, Zirs, Hirs, Vis, Xyrs — consumers gradually building their wealth and shopping power — while continuing to engage with the endangered species of “eternally young” consumers conditioned by archaic binary formulas.

TBC

After the final presentation, Pascaline Wilhelm, director of the project at Première Vision, invited me to collaborate with a team of experts to conceptualize artistic projects inspired by the findings of Masculin Pluriel.

Together, we envisioned creating a “collection of men” through a photo booth installation showcased at the Paris and New York editions of Première Vision, and at Denim Paris. The installation invited participants to be photographed from multiple angles, with a particular focus on capturing men with their eyes closed—a symbolic representation of the confident masculine dreamer. The series also included front and back portraits, as well as full-body shots.

This photographic exploration was later featured in Men Under Construction, a bilingual illustrated book published by Éditions du Regard, which included contributions from notable figures in the worlds of art and culture who took inspiration from Masculin Pluriel.

Additionally, I edited “The Process", a short film draft exploring the creative process in fashion. Inspired by this, the team encouraged me to propose a purely artistic short film treatment.  

Envisioned as a live-action/animation experimental film, my synopsis read: "Shrouded in darkness, Five Anonymous Senses embark on a profound journey of self-discovery. As they break free from mold after mold, they ultimately unite. Together, they awaken to their collective existence and their connection to seven billion others."

Although the short film was approved and I was surrounded by a solid network of artists, I was unable to secure a reliable producer to support my vision, leading to the budget being canceled. This experience, while disappointing taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of creative independence and promoted me to acquire the skills needed to produce my own films.  

The journey of Masculin Pluriel not only advanced the study of men’s evolving relationship with their bodies and fashion, but also became a pivotal chapter in my personal and professional growth as a creative producer.