These emerging Nordic brands are challenging gender norms

This summer one of Ervin Latimer's dreams came true when he launched his own brand Latimmier. The recipient of the Finnish Young Designer of the Year 2020, the ingenue has written and lectured about the intersection of queer culture, anti-racism, masculinity, and fashion. Now, the designer is creating garments that are for anyone who wants to signify and perform masculinity with their clothing. “We don't focus on gender, but rather what clothing can express,” Latimer says.

Latimmier’s design language stems from the history of masculine silhouettes with a contemporary approach “We find the notion of masculinity too narrow, and we want to be a part in changing that,“ Lattimer explains. "The topic is of course very complex, but to aggressively simplify, sociology defines masculinity as something that supports the idea of someone being a man in a given society. I’m fascinated by how we use objects like clothing to enforce gender and in masculinity’s case, what ‘being a man’ is like and looks like.” and continues “As a designer, I use masculinity as a tool to play with expectations and rules. When playing with it, I also try to expand it, and by expanding masculinity we can help break certain norms and power structures in societies. So ultimately, for me, masculinity is a fascinating tool for change.”