#DeGenderFashion : A Visual Analysis of How Fashion Is Used to Challenge Gender Norms and Heteronormative Expectations

Sammanfattning: The study aims to answer the question of whether fashion can communicate meaning, by addressing how creators on Instagram challenge dominant gender norms through fashion, with a focus on the activist movement of #DeGenderFashion. The research questions will be answered using fashion theory and gender theory as guiding points, with literature on social media activism, representations of gender, and cultural studies giving further insight into the dynamics of the movement. Data has been collected from the hashtag #DeGenderFashion, created by social media personality Alok Vaid-Menon in 2019, using the algorithmic function of Instagram to provide the most relevant posts for analysis. After applying a set of criteria to limit the data to create a coherent data set, a visual analysis with an interpretive paradigm and inductive approach was applied. One of the main findings is the influence of patriarchal systems on gender expression, with the movement being led by male and non-binary individuals. However, feminine and androgynous styles are most common, highlighting how non-female individuals strive to adopt feminine fashion into their wardrobes, and breaking the patriarchal stigma surrounding feminine styles. The results of the study further imply that gender specificity in object design is an outdated concept, with the styles featured in the data sample oftentimes combining elements from across the gender spectrum with each other, creating a new fluid visual identity. The study implies that gender specificity in fashion is an artificial concept, urging the fashion industry to become more inclusive by catering to a wider range of bodies.