THE NEW MASCULINITY: DISPATCHES FROM THE WESTMINSTER MENSWEAR MA 2024 SHOW

DATE: Tuesday 18 June 2024 .PLACE: Ambika Halls P3 TIME: 19.00

London’s most prestigious menswear hothouse delivers a masterclass in subverted tradition, movement-led design, and the raw tension between amour and vulnerability.

The University of Westminster’s Menswear MA 2024 graduate showcase, led by Anthony Rawson-Campbell, reinforced the program's status as a premier hothouse for technical mastery and conceptual depth. Moving away from the traditional, static runway format, this year’s presentation utilized choreographed movement and dance to demonstrate how garments perform in real-world motion. The collection was defined by a sophisticated interrogation of the Westminster Menswear Archive, where students deconstructed British tailoring to explore the tension between archival tradition and modern subversion. The result was a series of collections that felt alive, shifting the focus from how a garment sits on a mannequin to how it breathes and breaks on a human body.

YANG CAO

HAOCHUAN CHEN

ZIHANG YU

MINGYU LAI

The aesthetic narrative of the cohort was dominated by a "Hyper-Masculine" utility contrasted with an unexpected, fragile vulnerability. Designers like Yang Cao and Pin Mirin excelled at this duality; Cao’s work blended rigid military silhouettes with delicate corsetry, while Mirin’s "To the Land of the Soil" collection utilized earthy, cocoon-like drapes accented by industrial chains. This theme of "protection versus exposure" was a recurring heartbeat, seen in the use of heavy-duty leathers and upcycled nylons paired with sheer fabrics and skin-baring cuts. It signaled a broader cultural shift among the graduates toward a version of masculinity that is both a fortress and a window, comfortable in its own contradictions.

Ultimately, the 2024 show was a triumph of "wearable storytelling," marking a departure from the purely "unwearable" avant-garde in favor of commercially savvy innovation. From Kiddeo Deng’s high-octane rock-star glamour in leopard print and pearls to Danyel Hoza’s rugged, tangerine-accented utilitarian streetwear, the work felt ready for the global stage. These graduates have proved that they are not just designers, but architects of a new wardrobe—one that is environmentally conscious, technically flawless, and deeply personal. As they enter the industry, they leave behind a clear message: the future of menswear lies in the balance of strength, movement, and the courage to be seen.

ROSELLE ZHANG

DANYEL HOZA

JINGNI LIU

ZESHAAN IQBAL

DIEGO TARABEL

DIEGO TARABEL

DIEGO TARABEL

DIEGO TARABEL

The 2024 Westminster MA show was a triumph of "wearable storytelling." These graduates have moved beyond the "unwearable" avant-garde of the past decade. Instead, they are offering a new vision of the wardrobe: one that is technically flawless, environmentally conscious, and deeply personal.

As these designers head into the industry, they carry with them a clear message: the future of menswear isn't just about how a man looks—it's about how he moves, how he feels, and how he chooses to reveal himself to the world.

DINA OZORIO SALDANHA