Paula Maso and Matilda Landhör, the designers behind Swedish brand Quinta Maso, are determined to quash the gender divide of accessories. Here is why it matters
Silk, like most material, is gender-free, yet why do some think that silk should only be worn by women? According to Paula Maso, creative director of Stockholm-based brand Quinta Maso, politics and society in modern times have played their part, resulting in the obsession to create an artificial divide of genders. “Women are soft, and men are tough – and their choice of textile should be the same,” says Maso of this artificial divide. “Just as women had to fight for their right to wear trousers, we're finally re-entering an age where clothes are just clothes, in all their glory.”
The history of silk originates in China in 4th millennium BC. Thanks to the Silk Road, it was introduced into the west several centuries later and was adored by those of high status, mostly well-off Romans who wore little else. “Royalty and upper classes, both male and female, used silk as a sign of class and opulence, and in places like India, China and Japan, silk has been used for the longest time to create stunning traditional clothes for all genders,” explains Maso.
Textiles adopting gender is only a relatively modern invention and one which, thankfully, is running its course.
Photo: Beata Cervin
Photo: Beata Cervin
In the 1970s, bright coloured silk shirts and kaleidoscopic prints gained popularity in men's wardrobes which were most likely under the influence of rock icons such as David Bowie and Mick Jagger. In the current fashion, we are seeing a comeback of these 70s shirts with the likes of Gucci, Dries van Noten, Nanushka, Bode, Saint Laurent and Casablanca including the style in recent collections. Emerging brands such as Sean Suen, Nina Mounah, Danshan and Bianca Saunders also use silky fabrics in their collections for all genders.
Maso’s silk scarf brand Quinta Maso, is also pioneering the luxe fabric with their motto: ‘We simply make scarves, but our scarves are not simple.’
Quinta meaning house in Spanish, is the love child of Creative Director Paula Maso and Matilda Landhör, the brand’s Commercial Director. Their combined knowledge and experience in the fashion industry is unparalleled, and as a result, Quinta is a joyful, inclusive, and forward-thinking accessories label which aims to do things differently. The duo discovered most competitors and fashion houses market scarves to women only. “We asked ourselves: how can a simple piece of fabric be gendered? What are the technical aspects of it that make it good for women – there are none,” says Maso, who asserts Quinta’s pieces are “for every human, or even your pets if you wish.”
Photo: Ninja Hanna for Quinta Maso
The brand’s customer base is mixed, with a notable increase across the male market. “Our traffic, customers, and followers have almost a 50% male base, so it's very cool to see that men are embracing soft accessories and having fun with them – and that’s how it should be,” says Maso. “Silk can be a tool to express masculinity, as it has in the past, and also any other identity.” For Maso, gender fluidity means that we don't exist in absolute terms, but on a spectrum. “It is my personal belief that anyone should be able to place themselves wherever they want on that spectrum and change at any given time if they please.”
Silk, after all, is one of life’s small pleasures. “It is not by chance that silk has historically been regarded as one of the most exclusive textiles due to its extremely soft touch and breathability. I don't really know how else to put it, but silk just feels really, really, really, good.” And that is a reason enough for everyone, regardless of gender, to wear it.