“I feel like dress codes have been tossed aside and it has become all about expressing yourself,” concurs Yang, who dresses Jason Momoa, Simu Liu, Kumail Nanjiani and other A-list stars for red carpet appearances around the world. LGBTQ celebrities like Jonathan Van Ness, Billy Porter and Lil Nas X have have played an important part in this, edging gender-fluid elements such as platform heels and flowing silhouettes into men’s-wear’s mainstream, while challenging traditional notions of red carpet masculinity.

“When you combine an openness to new expressions of masculinity with a desire to dress more boldly, you wind up with some of the most non-conventional red carpet dressing in recent – and not so recent – memory.” “One result of this was men embracing a wider spectrum of masculinity, looking to express themselves more honestly and completely,” Zagor says. “When businesses began to reopen and events started taking place again, the floodgates opened and these men jumped at the chance to wear their loudest and most fun pieces.”Īnother key element, he says, are the themes of self-exploration and wellness that have become mainstays of social and traditional media in recent years. “Coming out of the pandemic, men – especially men who’ve always enjoyed getting dressed – had been craving opportunities for self-expression,” Zagor says. The reasons for this, according to Noah Zagor, the senior men’s-wear editor for trend forecaster WGSN, are rooted in the pandemic as well as a broader, ongoing movement to redefine masculinity. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images) Emma McIntyre/Getty Images TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 10: Akim Aliu attends the 'Black Ice' Premiere during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on Septemin Toronto, Ontario.

Silk elements