STYLE HUNTER: The man skirt

The classic kilt enjoyed its spotlight at the recently-concluded menswear weeks in Milan and Paris. Originally championed by the likes of designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Riccardo Tisci, For Fall Winter 19, this gender-fluid piece was seen on the runways of Art School, Charles Jeffrey Lover Boy and Iceberg. We got in touch with designers participating at the Lakme Fashion Week to share their take. Designer Narendra Kumar observes that it’s an idea borrowed from the East. “For India, the man skirt is not new at all. Most of South India and quite a bit of the North, lives in the ‘lungi’. Having said that, the man skirt as in the idea of un-gender dressing is relatively new to our country and is yet to be accepted as mainstream fashion,” says Kumar.  

Designer Nikhil Thampi who’s toyed with gender-fluid shapes in his previous menswear outings, shares, “I believe it’s very subjective and depends geographically. It is very difficult for the Man Skirt trend to pick up in a very strong headspace country like India, as it is difficult to change the mindset of men’s style. Though, we are very progressive as a country the trend will take time to pick up. I would somehow not want to incorporate the man skirt in my collection as its difficult to convince a man to don something so experimental and unique. Unless it’s an Indian collection, lungi skirt is something one can be flexible with it. But when it comes to western look, it is not easy to carry the look.”