Dressing in your partner’s clothes in same-sex relationships is the starting point for the Beckmans graduate Samuel Westerberg. While borrowing your partners’ clothing is widely referenced in women’s fashion with, for example, boyfriend jeans, the concept has not been fully developed in menswear. In Westerberg’s work, boyfriend dressing has moved to a male-bodied context with a collection that balances softness and precision, offering tailored and purist silhouettes that reference classic menswear but also adds sensual and sleek touches, such as a pleated corset in leather, a bias-cut wrap skirt and an elastic ribbon dress. The work of the fashion historian Anne Hollander and Helmut Lang’s minimalist elegance are also echoed in Westerberg’s collection that reformulates the idea of boyfriend dressing with functional and layered looks that present timeless menswear and intimate body-hugging garments.
