Men embrace femininity, take comfort in 'genderless' clothing

No stranger to barrettes, bows and beauty products, Japanese Instagram icon and model Genking is a proud flag bearer for "genderless" fashion in which young men adopt unequivocally feminine styles and challenge traditional norms.

Although women around the world have taken to menswear in droves - sporting trousers since the 1930s when French fashion legend Coco Chanel put her equestrian clients in pants - the sight of a man in a skirt still raises eyebrows in the West.

In much of Asia, however, unisex clothing - whether in the form of a traditional shalwar kameez, sarong or kimono - boasts a long history, while popular theatrical traditions regularly feature gender bending performances.