What do you think of when you hear the word ‘androgynous?’ How about ‘male’ or ‘female?’ These may sound like stupid or rhetorical questions to some, but they are interesting to consider when you encounter Andrej Pejic. He is an Australian-Bosnian model whose career literally skyrocketed in months. The reason? He embodies one of the biggest trends in fashion.
Androgyny has been a prevalent trend in the industry ever since the end of the glamazon 90s with ups and downs from season to season. In fashion, androgyny manifests itself in men who are able to pull off very slim and ‘feminine’ garments, and who may have feminine facial features and bone structure. In womenswear, it comes across in models who may be less shapely, who have stronger jaws, and less typically ‘pretty’ features. Those are the somewhat usual markers used to describe androgynous models.
Yet, with Andrej, the lines are blurred to a new extent. There are very few ways to determine by simply looking at him, that he is indeed biologically male. He has gone through no procedures, has done nothing to alter his appearance, but can transition from male to female by simply changing from one outfit into the next. He is able to seamlessly go from walking in menswear shows to womenswear shows demonstrating that he is aware of his caché in both worlds.
JERK 