Dion Lee: Rewriting the Rules of Gender

Lee is penetrating a market of Gen Z’s. These Zoomers are more connected, individualistic and fashionable than we are accustomed to, and Lee has encompassed this in his complex, yet minimal, androgynous excellence. The 35-year-old Australian Fashion designer, Dion Lee, has embraced the genderless movement when he showcased this season’s Let Your Imagination Run Wild collection. The name says it all. It inspires us to idle away from our gender expectations and explore our boundaries.

Debuting in 2009, when he released his very first collection at Australian Fashion Week, Lee has evolved into an iconic high-end label sold globally in over 40 of the world’s most exclusive retailers including Net-A-Porter and Farfetch.

These constructed pieces reveal glimpses of fetish wear. Lee has channelled this edge in his eye hook clasps, leather harnesses, suspender belts and garters. Craftsmanship is paramount. Lee puts emphasis on structure and pieces that have a dimensional element to them, meticulous construction plays an imperative role in his designing. His collections involve a high level of hand finishing and embellishment.

Skin is exposed through textile. Lee’s unisex category exhibits cropped and crochet tanks. Male models are wearing these pieces with no undergarments, displaying the nipples or the belly button. Also noticeable in the female garments, leather dresses and tops with cut-outs in all the right places embody the rebellious florals of his Spring 2021 collection. This recent look was seen on the Grammy Award-winning Dua Lipa looking Hotter Than Hell at the 2020 LOS40 Music Awards.

From leafy to earthy, these natural hues sing to the observer. Lee is using a sand inspired colour palette, with pops of yellow, lime and forest green, avoiding feminine shades like violet and pink used in earlier collections.