Think Corpcore and Gorpcore Are Unrelated? FW24 Collections Beg To Differ
As the modern workforce seeks wellness, fluidity and polymathic roles, how will uniform dressing evolve?
Throughout history, uniforms have united fashion and function. Acting as both the message and the messenger, uniform dressing communicates the zeitgeist of the times, the needs of its wearers and a promise for utility above aesthetic.
Today, the mindsets of the next-gen workforce are evolving to prioritize work life balance and multi-hyphen career paths. Rukiat Ashawe, an Editorial and Social Executive at The Digital Fairy tells us, “Gen Z are disillusioned. That’s why you have things like the ‘Lazy Girl Job;’ younger people don’t have the same aspirational view towards work. [They] are more geared towards the creator economy and having loads of different businesses.” The above combined with the demands of the cost of living crisis and a return to the office points to a need to redefine the necessity of workwear. But, how?
Enter corpcore and gorcore; two seemingly distant trends that are now subtly colliding. Corpcore revives office dressing such as rectangular eyewear, ties and oversized suits. While Gorpcore is on the rise amidst a desire to embrace healthier lifestyles in the form of lightweight and multifunctional garments.
We’ve seen rumblings of gorpcore and corpcore merging in the past few fashion week cycles; with their initial interactions emerging in set design. In its Fall/Winter 2023 collection, BOSS envisioned the future of the workplace as one infused with lab-grown plants, robot co-workers and levitating yogis. The collection married traditional suiting with gorp-inspired gloves, hoods and accessories to materialize a longing for wellness at work.
Elsewhere, we saw Prada’s Fall/Winter 2024 menswear collection set to the stage of an office in the forest. Sterile black office chairs were positioned over a glass runway where a living forest ground was illuminated to showcase rocks, leaves and plants.
So, how will the growing relationship between corp and gorp change what we wear to work?
Below, in collaboration with our friends at The Digital Fairy, we explore the future of uniform dressing and the brands to watch as corp and gorp converge.
Commute Couture
Commuting rarely feels couture. While the latest TikTok core might seem alluring through our screens, offline experiences tell a different tale. Ashawe shares, “you tend to see viral aesthetics online, but day-to-day people place function over serving a serious look. Online aesthetics don’t marry with real world dressing, commuting or working.”
Yet, in the pursuit of having your cake and wearing it, too, emerging brands are providing alternatives to on-the-go style.
SRVC
The concept of the modern commute is examined in London-based brand SRVC‘s FW24 collection dubbed “Human Resource,” where the inside of a double decker red bus transitioned into a runway. The label’s creative director Ricky Wesley Harriott asks viewers in his show notes to imagine the commute, a “gut-wrenchingly monotonous routine, as a retreat where societal equalization jolts back into focus.” Honoring authentic portrayals of women navigating the urban landscape, the SRVC collection merges co-ords and cashwool tops with collared shirts, ties and wool coats.
Ancuta Sarca
While capturing the universal feeling of limbo during a delayed flight – Ancuta Sarca also plays into this feeling of dressing for halted movement with her FW24 creations. In her collection, you can see parallels starting to arise between traditionally corporate garments – such as a collared shirt and tie – paired with tracksuits and kitten heels.
Johanna Parv
London-based designer Johanna Parv‘s FW24 collection was informed by “inner-city cycling routes, the buzz of the morning commute, office worker uniform hacks and the harshness of the elements.” Parv’s designs specifically cater to female cyclists, offering them solutions to commute into work with style and comfort. The brand’s suiting is inspired by cycling jacket silhouettes which come with protective collars. A standout this season was an insulated mini-skirt designed to keep the wearer warm while cycling. At the intersection of corp and gorp, Parv’s silhouettes maintain functionality throughout the working day.
Wellness Wear
Beyond commuting, corp and gorp find their stride in flattering new consumer mindsets around work, consequential burnout and a return to nature. Ashawe shares, “Gorp is a realistic vision of the future of uniform dressing, similar to the Gen X Soft Club aesthetic which reimagines a future where fashion is more simplistic and functional, against an urban backdrop that is both sterile and organic.”
Jane Wade
Jane Wade chose the collection name “Out of Office” for her FW24 showcase inspired by an era where “being glued to our devices and fixated on productivity has become the new norm.” Exploring the space in between tapped in and tapped out, Wade focuses on modularity, functionality and tactile tailoring mixing gorpcore vests and goggles with fitted suits. The brand also partnered with Salomon for the collection, which could be as easily seen on a weekend hike as a 9-to-5 shift.
Ottolinger
Ottolinger celebrated dressing between “morning’s hustle and evening’s embrace” for its Paris Fashion Week show. The pieces paired soft cotton two-piece sets with high neck collars shirts and were styled with maroon ties and corpcore friendly glasses. As corp and gorp meet, comfort is a key takeaway especially when considering disability. Ashawe comments, “Gorpcore is appealing because it meets the needs of the wearer. When you consider people with neurodiversity challenges, the way something feels is super important as to avoid sensory overload.”
Polymathic Dressing
“Gen Z will do industry, but more so to fund the things that they really enjoy,” Ashawe explains when asked about the multi-hyphen career paths that Gen Z are carving. Due to this value shift, we’re starting to see a pivot to multi-purpose uniforms that fit the needs of the new, polymathic corporate era.
UNDERCOVER
A key example of this for the FW24 season was UNDERCOVER‘s collection called “Watching a Working Woman.” The label shares in the show notes that the collection brings “completely different materials together to boldly stick out while daily garments come to show the extraordinary in everyday life.”
Knowing that today’s working woman has a multitude of roles, UNDERCOVER’s models carried a variety of accessories from branded totes to yoga bags to lunchboxes. While the accessories showcased the many duties of working women, the collection’s garments mirrored this sentiment blending soft sweaters with flowing dresses and comfortable flats.
Sacai
Speaking of hybridity, Sacai positioned the uniform as “the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.” In doing so, the brand explored hybridization to its ultimate expression, by combining traditional collared shirts with bomber jacket sleeves and cropped water-proof outwear paired with thick sweaters.
Miu Miu
As one of the final collections showcased in the FW24 circuit, Miu Miu cemented the fusion between gorp and corp. The brand’s traditional gray uniform was given a gorpcorp twist with durable leather gloves and boots. The collection’s sweaters, collared shirts and jackets were also hiked up at the elbow, materializing the multi-phyphen approach to dressing for function, regardless of the job at hand.
