Feminism or Fraud?

Although the fashion world is often described by its critics as shallow, showy, ostentatious and lacking an understanding of the world around it, with the rise of political statements on the runway, this stereotype is being shattered one $700 t-shirt at time.

This rise in political statements is not unique to the world of fashion. I first noticed the rise in outspoken feminist rhetoric when I went to the music festival Made in America over Labor Day in 2015. That summer the headliner was Beyoncé, and as an interlude between two of her songs, the words and voice of feminist and writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie covered downtown Philadelphia. In big, bold letters was Adichie’s viral Ted-talk titled, “We Should All Be Feminists.” Even during a concert for Beyoncé I had never heard screams so loud. It became clear to me that feminism was on the rise and its status as being aggressive, man-hating and taboo would be quickly leaving the social consciousness of many millenials.  

Fast-forward to Dior’s Spring 2017 Runway, newly appointed Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, not only seated Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie front-row, but sent her models down the runway in shirts with the words, “We Should All Be Feminists.” The critics immediately praised Chiuri for making a poignant political statement during a tumultuous political year. Chiuri was soon followed by countless other designers who as well sought to make strong political statements through their clothing. Prabal Gurung debuted shirts with slogans such as, “The Future is Female,” “I am an Immigrant,” and “Revolution has no borders,” speaking both to the wave of feminism, as well as making a stance on Trump’s current immigration ban and plans to build a wall along the border of Mexico. Other designers such as Jonathan Simkhai and Christian Siriano have followed suit as well, marking the feminist t-shirt a leading trend of 2017.

While it is easy to applaud influential fashion houses such as Dior for taking strong political stances, once learning about the $700 price tag for the shirt, consumers and fans of Dior quickly turned sour and many, including myself, began to wonder, if these designers really believe in the “We” that is printed on the shirt. With a $700 price tag, a majority of consumers cannot afford the shirt. Up until recently these shirts had only been worn by fashion influencers such as Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence. But, these shirts have not been made in vain. Dior announced that until May 15th a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Rihanna’s charity, The Clara Lionel Foundation, which is a charity that fights for the basic right of education through the world, the foundation for which she was recently honored by Harvard University as Humanitarian of the Year.  Even though Dior has clearly taken efforts to show that this shirt is for everyone, it does not erase the shockingly large price tag attached to it.

The rise of feminist t-shirts on the runway has been directly echoed in many fast fashion stores such as Brandy Melville and Topshop, selling shirts that have slogans such as “girl power” and the “future is female”. There has also been a rise in “free the nipple” shirts as seen on “it girls” such as Miley Cyrus. With the rise of these political t-shirts, I am often unsure whether the people wearing them know and understand the cause they are representing, or if they are only wearing it because it seems trendy. I hope that a majority of the girls wearing these shirts not only believe in the cause, but also stand with the cause. Whether that be working at the Women’s Center on campus or being a volunteer at their local Planned Parenthood. We are currently living in a time where we do not have the privilege to be bystanders, but must stand for what we believe in. If the first step to doing so is wearing a political t-shirt that is exceptional, but it must be followed by action or the meaning will fall upon deaf ears.