Rise of the non-fashion statement

In the modern world, there exists a group of people - the so-called "circle of fashion". Those belonging to this group regularly speak and spell names of designers from all over the world, and their free time is used to text friends to update them with phrases deriving from names of runway prints and trends, which change from one season to another.

An image of Pablo Picasso shown at www.mrporter.com

Of course this is incomprehensible to those living outside that bubble - those who have other priorities aside from names and the premium prices used to create value in clothes. These people's "real" life of waking up, venturing into the traffic to get to work, and going back home again - the loop of everyday life - comes with more pressing necessity and pairing a suit colour with a new necktie, or thinking of new details of shoes that won't be on shelves for the next six months, are simply irrelevant.

Frankly speaking, the terms "what's in" and "what's out" have nothing to do with this majority of people. They do not heed the demands of fashion marketing mechanisms. Interestingly, it is this kind of je ne sais quoi that the fashion world is gearing towards. We're looking at these people who don't care to remember designers' names and wear whatever they want to wear without caring what trends are in. Amidst the intense competition of the fashion market, several brands are seriously looking at this segment in the market as a gap they can cash in on - the "non-fashion" field.

Acne Max Pure slim-fit jeans

The non-fashion movement has been gliding quietly into the main arena of fashion since about early 2006 when Ermenegildo Zegna Group announced a collaboration with Tom Ford to set up a new super-luxury brand by the former fashion emperor. It marked a new chapter for Ermenegildo Zegna, putting this suiting supremo on front pages of publications, and such a move served as a front-runner of the term "collaborated collection", which has now become a fixture in all fashion glossies. Unlike hiring new "it" designers, collaborations are a win-win situation for brands, gaining immense exposure through the hired design icons, and they don't need to risk losing their much-cherished identity - something that many non-fashion customers hold onto.

The easiest examples of this kind of collaborated collection can be seen in two footwear giants: Dr Martens and Converse. Their existence is a testament to the massive presence of non-fashion. Men who swear by Converse sneakers need not drink their espresso from a Bodum mug or sip Champagne like it's water. Dr Martens' signature rebellious look is based on the fact that it never follows trends, but sticking instead to brand identity and the spirit of British punk hidden in all members of Generation Y.

"It goes back to editing, and also appreciation of quality," J. Crew's creative director Jenna Lyons said of stocking non-fashion (and non-J. Crew) items. Some brand examples include Red Wing Shoes, Alden leather footwear, Sperry Top-Siders or even limited-edition models of New Balance shoes. In Lyons' view, these products respond to the needs of real men who don't look for any more glorious fashion elements than quality and everyday life utility.

So, without the fashion element, what exactly is the key message in each item for non-fashion people to discuss? What these non-fashion products boast can be likened to new engine specs of an automobile and the country that manufactures it - something not many females would understand.

"They come with tons of history and brand integrity," she said.

"It isn't a tribe or a cult or even a particularly inaccessible marker of privilege," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said of http://www.mrporter.com, the one-year-old men's apparel website under the Net-A-Porter website, which has gradually been gaining attention from men. What mrporter.com offers defines the demands of the non-fashion majority - something not overtly fashionable, and yet not ordinary.

"It's the sharpest, and in many ways the most egalitarian, too. It is agnostic as to style, catering to preps and eccentrics and even a bro or two," added Caramanica.

Although 60% of brands in the website's catalogue are fashion goliaths whose products the fashion maniac would search the world to acquire, their products also prove that it is a haven for non-fashion fanatics. Their online magazine - The Journal - is an accessible guide to men's lifestyle and revolves around non-fashion role models such as Daniel Craig, Jamie Hince and even Pablo Picasso. They are non-fashion, but their immaculate look is a testament to the fact that even when you don't run after the latest fashion trends, it doesn't mean you don't have style.