Image source: Getty Images For Louis Vuitton/Pascal Le Segretain
Before gender fluid fashion became more socially acceptable in the US, celebrities like David Bowie, Dennis Rodman, Prince and Billy Porter sported androgynous styles confidently and unapologetically. But outside of Juan Gabriel, we’ve never had a Latino icon that normalized this within our communities. But artists like Bad Bunny, Maluma and J Balvin have really done their part to change that. In fact, when it comes to fashion, reggaetonero J Balvin has proven he’s not afraid to break the restrictive gender rules often placed on men – especially Latino men. The Colombian singer and rapper is always pushing the boundaries, but the truth is, he’s just getting started.
If you’ve considered Balvin’s fashion evolution over the years, then you’ve truly seen that he’s not afraid to turn heads. And while he does not consider himself as such, the Colombian artist has clearly shown that he is a style icon. He is an artist in every sense of the word. It’s all about expression for him, whether it’s through his music or the look he chooses to wear. Fashion in many ways is just another creative way for Balvin to express his mood and what he feels at the moment.
At last year’s Met Gala, Balvin appeared wearing a custom Ralph Lauren Label tailcoat with a white bow tie and accessorized with an RL867 steel watch, antique brooches, onyx stud cufflinks and a black cane. It was a look. But a year ago, he attended the Met Gala in a stunning Moschino design that featured florals in a wide range of bright colors, accessorized with a matching face mask and layers of diamond necklaces. The look definitely gave off similar vibes to his “Colores” album and proved just how unpredictable Balvin’s style is.
Image Source: Getty Images/Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Image source: Getty Images/Arturo Holmes/MG21
“Some days you’ll be in color and some days I’ll be in black. And that’s how I feel,” Balvin tells POPSUGAR. When it comes to style, the sky’s the limit for Balvin. There’s nothing he won’t try. In the same way that he’ll be dressed in street style, he’ll just as easily rock a hot pink faux fur coat as he did for the cover of Flaunt magazine or the black skirt he was seen in in the fall of Louis Vuitton 2022 show early this year. For Balvin, fashion is not so limited by gender. He’s really made it a point to reject gender stereotypes in his style, and it’s had a much bigger impact than he could have imagined. In a music genre historically known to be rooted in machismo, the look of reggaeton has really evolved over the years. We’ve seen Bad Bunny defy traditional gender norms through his style and even expressed himself as such prefers skirts to pants. At this year’s Met Gala, Bad Bunny appeared in a cream boiler suit by Riccardo Tisci for Burberry with her hair styled in a mini bouffant with embellished hair accessories. Other reggaetoneros have slowly embraced even more gendered styles. Only in the last few years have we seen artists like Farruko and Lennox showing off polished nails and acrylic tips.
Image source: Getty Images For Louis Vuitton/Pascal Le Segretain
“I’m not afraid to wear anything. As long as I feel comfortable in it.”
“I’m not afraid to wear anything. As long as I feel comfortable in it,” says Balvin. “If it’s a mini skirt, I don’t care if I wear it. If I see a cute bra and I think the bra would look good on me – I’ll wear it. But it has to be authentic to her. how I feel. I can’t feel like I’m in a costume. I can’t feel like I’m not me. I think the most important thing is that you have to stay true to yourself. And that’s how people start to respect you because they start to understand that you’re real when it comes to the way how you express yourself.”
It’s the confidence, that forgiving attitude and the self-respect that artists like Balvin have that make it so much easier for people everywhere to be freer in what they choose to wear. When we look at artists who historically wore what they wanted and didn’t dress to please anyone—fans, critics, media, even their industries themselves—there’s a pattern. When they confidently do what they want, society eventually catches up. There is nothing more inspiring than someone who is not afraid to shake things up and dismantle old ways of thinking. Even if a man isn’t interested in wearing a skirt or painting his nails, it’s hard not to respect another man who is confident enough to do so in a world that really tries to limit what he will it means being a man.
As for why it’s taken Latino men so long to break out of these machismo-driven gender roles, Balvin believes it’s because we haven’t seen enough Latino stars challenge these societal norms before. “I don’t think anyone’s ever tried it before. You know sometimes people say I won’t go through that door because it might be locked. I won’t go through that door because I’m not sure, but they didn’t even try. So, it’s better to regret a what if? I was like I’m going to dye my hair because I like this color. And I’m not saying that I’m the one who started it. Because if we go We’ve got Dennis Rodman and we’ve got Pharrell Williams, of course . But I’m talking about the Latin market,” he says. “I think that in the whole story it was Juan Gabriel. [He was] the only one who was like that is me and what? But we didn’t have those icons. I don’t consider myself an icon, but that person you see from 20 miles away – that’s J Balvin. I haven’t seen that before in the Latino industry, so I thought why don’t we have this? And so I started learning about fashion and traveling the world. Going to Japan and going to Paris. Being in Italy. Being in New York. You know New York is my biggest inspiration. Being in Medellín because there are many flavors there. That’s how I started building the way I dress. It’s really interesting because now we have space in the fashion world. Big brands talk to us”.
And these big brands go far beyond high fashion. In fact, Balvin recently teamed up with Miller Lite to launch his Bodegawear clothing line, which features everything from varsity jackets, graphic jackets, hoodies and accessories with vibrant artwork. But Balvin’s mission behind the collaboration goes beyond a few beautiful pieces of fashion. His intention is to give back. So with every purchase of the line, Miller Lite will donate its sales proceeds to the Accion Opportunity Fund, in an effort to support bodegas, corner stores and Latinx-owned businesses.
“All [revenue] From this collaboration goes to Action Opportunity Fund, adds Balvin. “We’re going to support all the bodegas and corner stores and Latinos, too. That’s really important because that’s how we touch lives and how we help people. That’s the most important thing about it. It’s great that we’re working with Miller Lite. It’s it’s good that we’re doing our thing, but it’s good that we’re doing something for the community.”
Image Source: Ben Rayner for Miller Lite
Balvin has really made an effort to connect with his fans and community on a human level. Not only is he open and vulnerable about his mental health, but he’s also done his part to normalize conversations about mental health, especially within the Latinx community. After years of sharing his journey with anxiety and depression, Balvin launched OYE, a new bilingual mental health app, which will be released in September 2022. He is also partnering with NBC News Studios, on a documentary series with six part titled “Gente Sana”, where he will sit down with a different character in each episode to discuss their mental health journey, challenges and coping mechanisms.
Outside of his art, Balvin wants people to know that he’s just a person who wants to make a difference in this world—even if that means empowering others to step out of the box in small ways. “Yes, music is the most important thing because [as music artists] This is our superpower, but through this, we can touch people,” he said. It really touches people in a way that will cause them to touch the lives of others. I want to create a legacy. Music is the most important, but I also want to support the new generation – the young children.”
