Mengyao Geng

" There is a psychology to the masculine: we’re told don't touch it. it’s ritual, scared, taboo."

Traditional masculinities create a solidified gender image by emphasising one-sided masculinity while undermining the vulnerable side of humanity, so I go beyond this gender-biased masculinity to portray a masculinity with a sense of vulnerability, promoting a more nuanced and diverse understanding of masculinity. Advocating for men to be brave enough to express their vulnerable side.

I begin with materials, translating the texture of the silent sense of brokenness found in classical sculpture and porcelain into the texture of clothing and accessories. I consider the texture of menswear to be the main source of the overall ethos.

As a female designer, I believe that men, like women, should have the right to show their vulnerability and sensitivity when under pressure and pain, and that this vulnerability in men is as pure and beautiful as the breakage of porcelain. Under the pressures of contemporary society men do not have to force themselves to remain masculine, they can be as fragile and pure as broken porcelain, this is a human trait and not a female privilege. Through my designs, I hope to promote the courageous expression of men's vulnerability, breaking through the limitations and profound effects of the traditional gender order. I hope to express an ethos free from the constraints of patriarchal male gender roles and to bring men into a better self-identity that emphasises intra-male differences and male gender roles.