‘Fashion’ and ‘style’ have traditionally been words associated with women, not men. But the ever-growing menswear industry is quick to change social norms and make it more acceptable for men to express themselves through their style of dress.

With menswear designers, such as Hedi Slimane and Michael Bastian, and the increasing legitimacy of menswear blogs, such as MrMort.com, StreetEtiquette.com and Selectism.com, the fuel for men’s fashion is an evolution within this industry rather than just a brief affair. Through rebranding tactics and the emergence of e-commerce, fashion’s thirst for menswear is a trend that has a staying power the industry hasn’t seen in a while.

Famed women’s wear designer Alexander Wang is best known for his edgy downtown designs, fine tailoring and noticeably androgynous style — it would only make sense that he launch a menswear line to further his career. Already nominated by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and GQ Magazine as the top emerging menswear designer, Wang plans to debut his namesake collection by fall 2011 and expand into men’s accessories by spring 2012.

‘It’s about the right timing, the right opportunity, then one thing leads to another,’ said Wang in a March 28 post on Style.com.

Though this might be the right timing for a young designer such as Wang, many veterans of this industry have already tried out the menswear sector and haven’t found much luck until recently. Take, for example, well-known women’s designer Cynthia Rowley and denim brand Current/Elliott.

Rowley recently relaunched and rebranded her menswear line because of the current supply and demand within men’s apparel. Named after her husband Bill Powers, Mr. Powers is a full collection that will expand into e-commerce, wholesale and its flagships.

According to Women’s Wear Daily, Rowley always had her own menswear line and even showed at the biannual New York Fashion Week. ‘In 2002, she was nominated for the Perry Ellis Award for the best new men’s designer talent. However, the men’s business dwindled to a fraction of the brand’s sales,’ wrote David Lipke in an April 7 WWD article.

The same lack of profit applied to denim brand Current/Elliott, and it was also the reasoning behind its decision to shut down its menswear division in 2009.

‘We were too expensive,’ said CEO Serge Azria in a March 31 WWD article. ‘We also realized it was important to do a complete collection and not just jeans. For a new brand, men’s retailers want something more special to create a long-term relationship.’

With a higher chance of profit and a new outlook on men’s apparel, Azria plans to relaunch menswear within Current/Elliott by this fall with lower price tags and a range of 70 to 80 different styles.

Other brands, such as e-commerce websites, have also jumped onto the goldmine. Mr.Porter, the menswear division to women’s luxury shopping site Net-a-Porter, and Piperlime are just a few of the e-commerce pioneers transitioning into menswear sales.

‘We know there’s a demand for (menswear),’ said Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet in a Feb. 10 Wall Street Journal article. ‘I don’t think shopping right now really appreciates the way men want to shop.’

Vicki Ho is a senior public relations major. Her column appears every Thursday, and she can be reached at vho@syr.edu.

Published on April 20, 2011 at 12:00 pm