On February 15, Terry Singh took over LiveRocket Studios for New York Fashion Week to display his menswear collection. Inspired by the freedom he felt during the six months he spent in India, when he started wearing dhotis, Singh put together a collection that reflected freeness for men despite societal norms that dictate how a man should dress and love his fellow man.
“This whole transformation came from a realization that what defined me as a man wasn’t the clothes that I wear,” Singh said at the beginning of the show. “This is the realization of what I experienced in that freedom.”
As for the collection, think classic tux with white button downs; but skirts instead of pants. Singh has managed to make “handsome,” elegant. The structure is in the utility, blazer and leather jackets accompanied by the matching skirts.
Despite the Indian influence that makes Singh’s collection unique, the designer is spot on trend wise. Back in 2016, rapper Young Thug wore a dress on the cover of his “Jeffery” album and caught the attention of many. Shortly after in 2017, Jaden Smith was named the face of Louis Vuitton’s women wear. Smith, 17-years-old at the time, sparked conversations about gender fluidity in fashion after sporting a skirt in the campaign.
Fast forward to 2019, rapper Lil Uzi Vert starred in a Thom Browne campaign wearing a pleated skirt while playing football, further challenging gender fashion. Kid Cudi continued this mission in April 2021 when he wore a floral Off-White dress during his SNL appearance.
Singh continuing this conversation via his collection is definitely worth adding to the timeline of dismantling masculine stereotypes in fashion. The father of four has made skirts his signature look, topping them off his his sleek up do. Check out more of Terry Singh NYC on CFDA’s Runway360 site.
