FEATURES: Is slim the new sexy?

In the midst of the heated debate on the stereotypical representation of male bodies, skinny and underdressed models are a vivid reminder that not all men feel represented by current trends. Nowadays, there exists a real demand from the public which requires to see different menswear trends and types of bodies in TV and advertising. This goes far beyond fashion: it is a cry for self-esteem, acceptance, inclusion. The new light and daring men's clothing are a living message against the cliché of how a man should dress/look like: strong, muscular, masculine to the point of exaggeration and eternally obsessed with the classic ideal of physical perfection.

The most renowned brands are starting to show interested in this trend and, therefore, to illustrate the unstoppable expansion of this worldwide phenomenon, a dramatic break with the rigid standards of the male fashion business, which is moving towards more inclusive -and rather more realistic- horizons. Who dictates what's considered sexy and what's not? Who's brave enough to define what masculinity is about?

If we have to choose just one garment that personalize this tendency and has caught the industry's attention from all the men's fashion shows of the last SS20 season, that's definitely Ludovic de Saint Sernin's towel. Inspired by the concept of "Wet'N'Wild", Ludovic launched his youthful-looking models onto the catwalk in varying degrees of nudity: some in wet and transparent silk, others in open shirts and shorts. Drawing a perfect balance between elegance and sensuality, the culmination came from a young boy, with a rebellious and soaked look, walked through the gateway proudly wearing a small towel around his waist. Only a carefully designed towel was enough for the 29-year-old designer to vindicate the idea of what is considered "sexy" for men. With Rick Owens and Olivier Rousteing sitting in the front row of the parade, along with many of the industry's most revered critics, the first Ludovic’s show on the official calendar of Paris' Fashion Week had both substance and memorable moments.

This beautifully crafted white towel that would give much to talk about was not the first time Saint Sernin was extremely controversial for his suggestive and eye-catching garments: Last season it was the million-dollar underpants that drove the public eye crazy, a pair of tiny and delicate underpants covered with Swarovski crystals from his FW19 collection. Fun fact: The same model who wore the underpants was the same one who carried the famous towel. Such an icon!

Slim and provocative are not something brand new in the fashion scene: Here it is highly compulsory to mention our beloved Alessandro Michele, creative director of Gucci and the greatest exponent of a fashion without gender bonders. Michele had his debut was in 2015 Milan Fashion Week, where he bet on long-haired and androgynous masculine models in light clothes, taking the risk with pink garments and smooth textiles regarded as historically feminine such as lace, velvet or satin.

Although until now catwalks were usually monopolized by men who look like they have just appeared in British TV show Love Island, millennial designers have been recently placing in the catwalk men with physical constitutions and revealing garments that are difficult to fit into conventional male sexuality parameters. Slim-dressed models are changing the rules of fashion, but the important thing is not only their growing popularity but the values they convey. After all, the rules and prejudices from the past are there just to be broken.