Blurred Lines Between Politics and Prada

When scrolling through Facebook, invites to political protests in downtown Chicago pop up on my screen. Mid-deep sleep, I awake to the blaring sounds of CNN news flooding my apartment. My college lectures never fail to squeeze in a not-so-subtle political reference to demonstrate supply and demand or explain social constructs in society. Even fashion, a supposedly neutral industry, has joined the political arena. Whether we like it or not, headlines follow all of us everywhere in our daily lives.

Last February, New York Fashion Week was a battleground for political activism where various shows took a stance on prevalent politics. Designers like Brandon Maxwell and MILLY incorporated pops of pink to support Planned Parenthood while slogan tees featured political statements like Jonathan Simkhai’s “Feminist AF” and Christian Siriano’s “People are People.” The Monse and Cushnie et Ochs shows’ soundtracks voiced pro-immigrant and feminist messages as political signs adorned shows like Adam Lippes’ “Girl Power” sign. Business of Fashion organized the #TiedTogether movement where industry professionals wore white bandanas to promote “inclusivity, diversity, and unity.” Model Gigi Hadid and fashion blogger Aimee Song worked the white bandana to demonstrate support for the cause. With the heated political climate of the Trump Inauguration and the Syrian Refugee Crisis, political talk and social activism was in demand— so the fashion industry gave the world what they wanted.

Fashion as a political microphone trended last year in the midst of all the social upheaval, yet at New York Fashion Week last week, the runway was rather quiet. It’s difficult to understand why the political commotion died this year on the fashion stage; both refugee and Trump concerns still exist, and the fashion industry’s millennial audience, its targeted consumer group, remains vocal in political advocacy. A lot has happened over the past few months starting with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, so why is the fashion industry primarily mute this fashion week? While there were political undertones at certain shows like Prabal Gurung’s, whose fashion week looks celebrated female strength, it took around five days into fashion week for politics to infiltrate the catwalk. Jonathan Simkhai took a feminist stance with his suffragettes collection which featured denim corsets and unusually high necklines while playing Kesha’s “Praying” to set the tone of female empowerment. Desmond Napoles, also known as Desmond Is Amazing, made his runway debut as a 10-year-old “drag kid” in the Gypsy Sport show, and there were an influx of other diverse models. While some hints of politics wedged themselves into some of the shows, this year’s fashion week felt at odds with last year’s overtly political fashion week. Are politics no longer hip?

The token argument against a political runway is the claim that the fashion industry exploits politics as a publicity stunt. Many accuse designers of taking advantage of current politics to bring in bank for their brand, so this skepticism has distanced many designers from voicing their politics in their shows. Alienation of consumers is another reason for the political void this past fashion week. By taking a political stance, designers risk alienating a sector of their customer base. Entering the unneutral sphere of politics can be detrimental to designers and their sales. The disparities between this past fashion week and last year’s generate the notion that today’s issues are not as important or prevalent as last year’s, which is not the case. Politics can also be seen as a fad; last year, they were a trendy topic that everyone wanted in on, but the political fever always goes down and people find themselves obsessing over the next hot thing. This past New York Fashion Week could be telling that politics just aren’t hot right now and the ‘80s garb and bright hues featured at various shows are an attempt to lighten the mood and separate themselves from the controversies and solemness surrounding politics. Regardless, the silence this past fashion week was deafening. There are countless reasons why fashion shouldn’t be political, yet at the end of the day, social and political activism cannot be ignored and designers should always use their shows to make a statement that transcends just fashion.