In a bid to modernise the fashion calendar that has long separated menswear and womenswear, more and more designers are deciding to eschew its binary structure and making their own rules when it comes to what and when they show.

Among the London-based designers spearheading this shift and pushing for fluidity are John Lawrence Sullivan, Edward Crutchley and Christopher Ræburn – and here, each explains why they’ll be showing men’s and womenwear in tandem this SS19 season.

John Lawrence Sullivan
“Generally in my brand, there's not much to divide the concept of creating men's and women's collections, so to combine these in a show creates a sense of depth. Women are more inclined to wear oversized silhouettes and adapted suit styles nowadays, so I created the John Lawrence Sullivan women's collection to follow this genderless age. I hope that, similarly to my brand, men’s and womenswear could be combined in a close, genderless schedule.”

Edward Crutchley
“The reason I started to show my clothes on both men and women was because, to me, the primary concern is to create something beautiful – and beauty is not something that is confined to one gender. Releasing myself from thinking in a purely ‘menswear’ way has allowed me the creative freedom to explore more volumes and new approaches to shape and silhouette.”

Christopher Ræburn
"Showing both menswear and womenswear together really allows us to complete the brand picture and give the greatest creative impact. Since switching to the combined format, our collections have become stronger and more concise, which has meant that we are able to focus better as a business.” 

London Fashion Week Men’s SS19 runs until 11 June 2018.