Preview: Gen Neutral

By Aleksandra Szymanska 08 : 03 : 2016 Gen Neutral : Identity : Branding

The growing debate around non-binary identities outlined in our Neutral Culture macrotrend is fuelling the rise of an inclusive, gender-neutral aesthetic.

Creatives are rejecting the traditional dichotomy of feminine versus masculine
Textures and tactile materials are used to create seductive imagery

While the fashion industry has a long history of challenging the gender binary, other sectors have typically used it as an indicator of aesthetic tastes and product preferences. The growing debate around non-binary identities and diversity is prompting brands, especially those in the retail and beauty industries, to adopt a neutral aesthetic.

Playgrounds, nurseries and Generation I retail environments are rejecting the traditional blue-for-boys and pink-for-girls colour palette and replacing it with a gender-neutral, semi-Brutalist aesthetic, which is softened by curved surfaces and warm light. An installation created by design agency Bureau A for childrenswear brand L’asticot is inspired by early Soviet Russian architecture and features a model city atop a clothes rail that children are encouraged to play on. The installation captures a sense of fantasy and whimsy despite its lack of colour and concrete finish.