Jacqueline Loekito’s vision is to challenge men to dress more adventurously. Looking back at gender fluidity throughout history and culture, both sexes - especially men - were more fearless in earlier times than right at this moment.

In the 18th century, men dressed quite flamboyantly and openly, using the most feminine fabrics - brocades, velvet, lace and print - for menswear.

Around 1760 to 1780 there was an evident of fashionable men who dressed with great detailed and clashing colours. These pretty gentlemen using their clothes to signify same sex love and friendship, are known as the macaroni. Macaroni identified themselves as neither male nor female but of the neuter gender or, more commonly known, as effeminate. These Macaroni’s were ultra - fashionable men in England who wore highly fashionable clothes; tight sleeve coats, short skirts, waistcoats, knee breeches with brocaded fabrics and embroidery silks and velvet. The posture showed broad chest thrusting, the bosom forward, towered wig and their faces covered in white powder and rogue for the cheeks. These stylish men had developed a new understanding of the definition of clothing and appearance.

Current designers such as Gucci, J. W Anderson, Art School, Palomo Spain, who are pioneering this genderless movement, are not following a trend because genderless clothing are naturally becoming realized in the fashion industry.

An important subject in her collection is colour. Jacqueline Loekito’s favourite colour is pink and not because it is girly or feminine but, for her, shows audacity and strength for both sexes. In her eyes, men are much more masculine and more approachable when they wear pink. She really disagrees with the statement of ‘baby boy wears blue and baby girl wears pink’ - we cannot and shouldn’t define a gender by its colour.

Children’s clothing became gender specific in the 1940’s. Before that, gender-neutral clothing had been normal with boys wearing the same white dresses as the girls, usually until 6 or 7 years of age. The reason all children were dressed in white cotton dresses and nappies was because they could be easily bleached which was practical in those days. Pink and blue and other pastel colours started to be put on babies in the mid 19th century but it wasn’t until World War 1 that pink became linked to girls and blue to boys.

Fashion comes and go; men and women borrow and inspire each other’s look and the end of the day we share our clothing together.