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• IMAGES: JEREMY FRENCH

ICYMI, last night at FLANNELS X, we launched Corbin Shaw’s two-day exhibition, ‘For The Love of the Lads’, with sports and fashion publication CircleZeroEight. To celebrate the launch, we were joined by key players in the fashion and sporting world to discuss the idea of modern masculinity and what it means to them.

Corbin Shaw was joined by professional boxer Hassan Azim, American Football player Kele Chidyke, musician Guvna B and Business of Fashion’s Daniel-Yaw Miller, hosted by Gary Armstrong, editor of CircleZeroEight. The six panellists brought together different perspectives, exploring what it is to be a man in the modern world, and toasted the occasion with a bottle of Peroni. The result? A unique and essential conversation on modern masculinity. This is everything you need to know…

As an artist, Corbin Shaw’s key inspiration is masculinity in British culture. His work fuses together disparate elements of what it means to be a man, from fashion to sport and politics. His most recent endeavour has been exploring this through the lens of a class of boys from Aylesbury Grammar School. In conversation with CircleZeroEight, he explained that at the school he “talked about attributes we associate with masculinity – strength and bravery for example” and how these associations are changing and represent so many different things. “Bravery can be the ability to be vulnerable,” he explained.

Bringing together different experiences of masculinity and defining the space between sport, style and culture, the panellists explored what they described as ‘positive masculinity’. A version of masculinity where instead of suppression, we see expression. Instead of young men following the crowd, we see men who are staying true to themselves and pursuing what makes them happy. As Guvna B told the audience: “My purpose to stay true to myself is so much bigger than what anyone thinks of me.”

Shaw’s work with Aylesbury Grammar School reflects this creation of space. By going to the school and working with these young men to talk about their feelings and express them, Shaw is helping to create pathways to communication. Today, this exists in so many ways. The panellists reflected on how therapy as a medium is so critical for this kind of emotional work, but it’s a space that men have often struggled to immerse themselves in. We’ve all heard the age old saying that ‘boys don’t cry’. But today that’s changing, and the panellists came together to help to try and shift the narrative, emphasising that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. Guvna B said: “My hope is that we provide as many pathways as possible for men to go to therapy”.

Another key takeaway from the talk? The importance of positive role models. In 2023, it’s critical that we broaden the scope of role models for young men. There’s often a culture of suppressing who actually inspires you in order to fit in with the crowd. As a young person, it’s easy to swallow who you are in order to fit in with the crowd. But in rejecting these ideas, we find strength. “I was always really inspired by somebody who moved outside of the pack mentality in a way… My dad, … he put all of these things on himself where he was I actually I need to get a career down, I need to take care of myself,” said Shaw. And the impact was big, he reflected that because of being so inspired by his dad he’s “always kind of come back to him for advice”.

Influence, emotion and integrity. Pursuing who you are and sticking out from the crowd. This is a new generation of masculinity that prioritises collective individualism. Being unapologetically yourself while still taking care of the people around you.

The parting message? As Gary Armstrong told the audience: “If you’re expecting everyone else to change, it won’t happen”. Things will only change if you do. You are the change. \