LCF23: Gucci x Harry Styles – Exploring how gender fluid collaborations impact brand perception with Gen Z

In 2022, Gucci x Harry Styles collaborated to launch a collection titled 'Ha Ha Ha', exploring themes like gender fluidity and progressive masculinity through a wardrobe of clothes and accessories. Gucci describes the collection as "defined by the eccentric use of romantic accents, whimsical prints, vintage details, and the expressive emotionality of the individual." We interviewed Hannah Roberts, a final-year student of BA Fashion Marketing who produced a report examining the impact of the collaboration on Gen Z audiences, particularly as fashion brands face increasing challenges in remaining relevant to this demographic.

Could you provide an overview of the Gucci X Harry Styles 2022 'Ha Ha Ha' collaboration? How did it showcase progressive masculinity and gender fluidity in the context of luxury fashion?

Gucci has continuously demonstrated a progressive stance towards gender and identity, releasing numerous gender-subversive collections and establishing a gender-fluid division in 2021. However, Gucci's 2022 Ha Ha Ha collaboration with Harry Styles was specifically proclaimed by the brand as the culmination of their joint efforts to embrace a "masculine transformation," building upon their working relationship since 2015.

Styles' fashion choices have sparked a significant political debate on gendered fashion, declared by Lyst as the most influential celebrity dresser of 2020 and becoming the first solo male to appear on the cover of Vogue in 2019, adorned in a lace ballgown. My research suggested that the very act of collaborating with Styles, who embodies notions of gender fluidity and progressive masculinity, resulted in a meaningful transfer of ‘progressive masculinity’ onto both the collection and Gucci itself. The study suggested that this meaning transfer was even more effective at enabling the collaboration to embody these themes than the physical collection itself, which did however include physical attributes contemporarily associated with traditionally feminine dress, such as a skirt, bags and bright, bold colours and prints.

How did you decide on your methodology for investigating the topic?

I decided to employ narrative inquiry in a qualitative mono-method approach due to the intricate nature of the research topic, providing an opportunity for an extensive investigation of participants' experiences, attitudes, and perceptions towards masculinity and the collaboration, vital in achieving my objectives.

The study employed semi-structured interviews and projective techniques, such as a word association task, to gather comprehensive insights into consumer perceptions and meaningful data production. The word association task also employed four visual prompts of mood boards to stimulate participant engagement and creativity.

As it was identified in the literature review that Gucci may have benefited from the transfer of Styles' symbolic connotations, I decided to investigate consumers' associations with both Styles and Gucci individually. Participants were also shown the campaign material featuring Styles and informed of his influence. Prior to this, a mood board showcasing the same garments worn by Styles in the campaign material but on unidentified models was presented, with participants informed that this was a 2022 Gucci collection. This enabled me to assess the impact of Styles' distinct connotations on consumers' perception of the collaboration.

In your report, you discussed the impact of the 'Ha Ha Ha' collaboration on brand perceptions among Gen Z luxury fashion consumers. Can you share some of the findings or insights you discovered?

The study suggested that the Gucci x Harry Styles collaboration’s exploration of gender fluidity and progressive masculinity may positively impact the brand perception of Gucci among Gen Z luxury fashion consumers. The majority of participants in the study expressed more positive perceptions of Gucci following the collaboration with Styles, expressing that they perceived the brand as more inclusive, progressive, and attuned to changing gender norms, which are valuable brand principles for this progressive consumer segment. This finding can therefore be interpreted as suggesting that engagement with gender fluidity and progressive masculinity may enhance brand perceptions amongst Gen Z luxury fashion consumers.

What were some of the significant insights you gained regarding the evolving role of gender fluidity and progressive masculinity in the luxury fashion industry based on this collaboration?

My research highlighted (at least among my participants) that there is an ongoing shift in consumer expectations regarding masculinity and fluidity among Gen Z consumers. As this cohort continues to mature and gain increasing spending power, brands may benefit from adapting to this evolving landscape to remain relevant to this consumer group. 80% of participants expressed a belief in a noticeable shift in gender norms concerning masculinity, with participants expressing an increased sense of freedom and blurring of gender boundaries in fashion. Participants, therefore, expressed positive evaluations towards the collaboration and progressive representations of masculinity and fluidity in advertising and offerings of luxury brands, deeming them as displaying an important degree of awareness and catering to a larger spectrum of gender identities.

However, a further important finding was that participants expressed that they believe the shift in social norms surrounding masculinity and men’s fashion, does not extend to all areas of society. Therefore, participants expressed the need for representation of a broad spectrum of masculinities, including more traditional masculinities where relevant.

Participants expressed that authenticity was key when engaging with different representations of masculinity and gender fluidity and that brands should align their representations with their brand identity and ensure to not just exploit the use of gender representation and the LGBTQ+ community for financial gain.

What do you think other luxury brands can learn from this collaboration?

The study suggested that brands could learn from the Gucci x Harry Styles collection, potentially enhancing their brand perceptions, awareness, and loyalty by promoting gender fluidity and inclusive gender identities, provided it aligns with their brand identity and values. This could be achieved through diverse representations in their communication strategies and the development of designs that cater to a wide range of gender expressions and identities, as indicated by participants.

The research also suggested that because Gucci benefited from Styles' associations with progressive masculinity, brands may benefit from working with individuals who embody these values in terms of gender expression. Therefore, partnering with celebrities, influencers, or individuals who embrace gender fluidity and progressive masculinity may help luxury brands attract Gen Z consumers and achieve marketing objectives.

The strong emergence of authenticity in the thematic analysis indicated that brands employing progressive depictions of masculinity will benefit from prioritising authenticity. Therefore, brands could authentically align their representations with brand values and incorporate diversity and inclusivity throughout their organisation to build long-term relationships with consumers. The findings further suggest that this could be achieved by aligning a brand’s representation of masculinity and fluidity with that of its team and creative director.

Moreover, some participants held divisive perceptions of Gucci's use of Styles to embody gender fluidity and progressive masculinity due to ambiguity surrounding his gender identity and sexuality. This suggests that approaching non-traditional gender representations may lead to potential backlash due to the sensitivity of the topic. Therefore, when looking to embrace gender fluidity and progressive masculinity, partnering with a celebrity who openly identifies with certain gender identities or sexual orientations may mitigate accusations of exploitation or ‘queer baiting’, as seen in the Gucci X Harry Styles collaboration.