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Menswear and Gender-Fluid Fashion

In a new series of style with substance, Mary Portas looks at menswear past, present and future. We visit the V&A and meet JW Anderson, Edward Crutchley and Priya Ahluwalia.

Mary Portas is back with another series of the programme that celebrates style with substance, and this week we're focusing on menswear's past, present and future. Mary visits the V&A to meet their Senior Curator Claire Wilcox and to take a look at their new exhibition 'Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear'. The show mixes historic and contemporary looks ranging from 18th-century opulence to the art of suit tailoring. We also meet designer Edward Crutchley who talks us through his look in the show, an enormous gown designed with the male body in mind.

Mary speaks to Jonathan Anderson, founder of the label JW Anderson, one of the driving forces in fashion reconsidering its rigid separation between menswear and womenswear. We also hear how his theatre background inspired his designs, incorporating influences from art and literature in clothing, and about how the pandemic sparked his creativity.

Finally Mary sits down with rising star Priya Ahluwalia whose work is inspired by her dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and London roots. Priya Ahluwalia is committed to sustainability, and was awarded the 2021 Queen Elizabeth II Award for Fashion Design for her work with her eponymous label Ahluwalia.

Presenter: Mary Portas
Producer: Jessica Treen

Available now

28 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Tue 26 Apr 2022 11:30
  • Thu 2 Jun 2022 16:00