Political or ethical conundrums have recently touched the runway, and how! The sweeping statements made have only made it a popular escape route to share opinions with a blend of Fashion Designers Striking Chords. The designers, or do I dare say the scapegoat, usually face the brunt of it later. But the situation is a win-win from both ends. It serves the purpose of bringing awareness while putting the runway on fire with fresh designs.
The consumers who are watching, buying, or may potentially be a part of this brand are the target audience. They have independent beliefs and opinions about these social and ethical norms being spread like wildfire. No matter it is India, Milan, the USA, or others, the fashion industry is growingly witnessing designers highlighting issues that have impacted the lives of people heavily.
The fashion world is full of glamour and glitz. It is hard to find designers or brands that would jeopardize a fashion season to promote a sensitive political or social issue. The last decade has been proof that the industry of fashion is changing with new blood coming into the scene. Fashion no is playing an important role in making a difference or spreading awareness, let’s take a tour down the lane;
Me too movement
In 2018, when the ‘me too’ movement was on fire for talking about the models who face sexual harassment, the runway took over. At New York Fashion Show, one of the designers decided to talk about it through fashion. There were eight extraordinary models who had survived the brunt of sexual predators. These models, with the help of Advocate Myriam Chalek, narrated their individual stories by wearing pig masks and standing next to them in black dresses.
The feminist
Maria Grazia, at the Paris Fashion Week, made unnervingly strong political statements by printing slogans like ‘We should be all feminists’ and ‘Dio(R)evolution’, independently. All the shirts sold under the banner of these slogans made a lot of profit. The profit was further given to the donation for Rihanna’s foundation that fights for the need for education, equality, freedom from injustice and poverty, etc.
Pussy hats
This march was triggered after Trump made a pass at women stating, ‘grab them by the pussy’. It happened in the year 2017 when several women decided to march their way in the streets of America from one corner to another in hats that looked like pink pussy. However, the designer was criticized immensely, around the world, for daring to arrange such a show of outrage. But it did prove the point and turned into the talk of the town.
Ashish Gupta
One of the designers of the present fashion realm took to the president. He spread through his T-shirts slogans like ‘More glitter less twitter’, at the London Fashion Week. Each collection he introduced had something or the other from the unhealthy political scene. The sparkling slogans on the runway were nothing less than a slap on the face of the political yes-men.
The brutality of police
Narendra Kumar, a well-known face of the fashion industry scene in the year 2013 decided to take a stand against the police. He shared his opinion on the deeply infamous ‘Nirbhaya gang rape’ by using his runway with models secured in a circle with men in police uniforms. The designs were hardly visible on the models, and he got a verbal lashing from several on the same, but he made his point.
Mastectomy
Shivan and Naresh took to the stage to talk openly about breast cancer through their mastectomy designs for blouses. These blouses were specially designed with prosthetic breasts for women who have fought breast cancer and undergone mastectomy. The result was their partnership with innumerable NGOs that worked towards the betterment of underprivileged women. They provided products for free for these women who could not have been able to afford the blouses otherwise.
Plus size
The elephant at the Lakme Fashion Week, that no one had addressed in the room earlier. The plus-size fashion show took the stage by storm in the year 2016 at the LFW. It was considered a revolution of its time, especially because it happened on a runway where a specific body type had always been on the highlight for the longest of years. At a time when designers have been bad-mouthed to promote a certain body type, the plus-size runway came as a fresh breeze negating all the perpetual stereotypes. The plus-size brand, Helmes by ALL found some of the best plus-size models to fire up the stage with their new collection. There was a mix of fancy accessories and clothing in the ramp basket.
One of the biggest, and the most flourishing industry in the world, fashion, has now taken the center stage for social and ethical awareness. It fuels the fire that burns to remove injustice from society. The future shines bright with the hope that the industry will see more such designers who are keen on creating a balance between work and morals. So, keep your eyes open for the next runway reveal.
Author: Yashasvi K.
Freewill/Editor/Writer/Mother/Language Nazi! -- Not necessarily in that order!
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