The Construction of Masculinities in the Fashion Industry

The growing participation of men in activities stereotypically associated with women and femininity has been testified over the years by both statistical and qualitative studies in the field of gender studies. Specifically, fashion brands are increasingly opening towards the menswear market, which is consequently targeted through advertising images that, thanks to the socializing power of the media, are able to build and adapt specific constructions of masculinities based on brand identity, target customer segment, and cultural context. Furthermore, views on gender and gender roles are undergoing continuous societal shifts and reconceptualisations, especially in light of globalisation processes and increasing public awareness. In order to address the relevance of the topic and the gap caused by a scarcity of literature on masculinities and social media fashion advertising, this study aimed to shed light onto contemporary masculinity constructions in the fashion industry by formulating the following research question: “How are masculinities constructed by European and Chinese high-end fashion brands on Instagram?” A thematic analysis of 160 still Instagram posts by two European and two Chinese high-end fashion brands – respectively, Salvatore Ferragamo and Balmain, and Atelier Rouge Pékin and Fabric Porn – was conducted to answer the main question, following an intersectional approach between gender roles and social class. Relative results show a prevalence of four recurrent themes, which were observed in both European and Chinese brands. The themes were categorised as: “Models’ appearance”, “Predominance, independence, and authority”, “Emotional distance”, and “(De)contextualisation”. In general, findings indicated the presence of different physical and behavioural characteristics common to male models represented in the Instagram posts of the four brands, which could confirm a probable influence on a socio-cultural level between the two areas considered for this study. Moreover, a construction of masculinity that detaches itself from hegemonic criteria was identified in posts by both European and Chinese brands, while differences were highlighted when intersecting gender roles and social class, whereby European brands seemed to be more connected to an elitist tradition despite their progressive approach to lower- and middle-class consumers.