Is Fashion Too Frivolous to Be Political?
Do We Really Accept Fashion Figures to Venture Beyond Industry-Related Matters?
They say revolution won’t be televised-but currently most political events are vastly communicated online by the most unexpected sources. The recent unfortunate events in Gaza have sparked a flurry of TikToks, Tweets, and Instagram Stories from fashion figures more or less expressing their political stances.
Simultaneously, individuals like Harper's Bazaar editor Samira Nasr faced backlash and were compelled to apologize for what was deemed "creepy insensitive" Instagram posts. In contrast, others were criticized online for airing unpopular political opinions. The ongoing debate over whether fashion and politics or brands and politics should be intertwined is huge and ongoing.
However odd it may seem, fashion and politics share a deep-rooted relationship. Going back in time, Suffragettes dressed in white to visually symbolize the purity of their goals. The Black Panthers used military-style uniforms of black leather and berets to signify power and active resistance.
Not so long ago, celebrities appeared at the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards in all-black attire in support of the Time's Up campaign, while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez caused a stir when sporting a white gown with "Tax the Rich" embroidered in red at the 2021 Met Gala.
This renders the question: Is fashion too superficial to engage with politics? Do we expect fashion figures to venture beyond industry-related matters?
Bethann Hardison, the legendary model and activist believes this is inevitable. “Fashion people are simple people, just like any other profession people are” she notes. “Just folks talking, feeling, and sharing. We all should be able to do that, and we had better opportunities to do that before the internet. It’s all so unfortunate. We should be able to hear a difference of opinion without feeling I am being attacked or hated. This way, the intellect of expressing is being suppressed.”
Truth is, you cannot discuss culture without acknowledging politics, and you cannot discuss fashion without understanding the cultural sphere it inhabits and draws inspiration from.
But is there a general discourse from which one can abstain when you are a brand or influencer? And, does that raise concerns about conglomerate-owned fashion brands manipulating issues for profit by diluting the impact of protest groups? In the end, is fashion too frivolous to be political?
For Ninette Murk, a creative director and social activist, people shouldn’t get upset.” Politics are part of our daily lives: politicians decide about things that concern us, work for us- and in some cases- against us." she notes. “I know quite a lot of people in the fashion industry who are empathic and interested in what’s going on in the world around them and politics are a part of that.”
Rhianna Cohen, the creative strategist behind Morning a studio specializing in digital strategy & conscious storytelling believes audiences can tell whether fashion speaks from a place of truth.
“We often debate whether fashion and politics or brands and politics should be interlinked, but it’s widely accepted that the lens we look at fashion is a cultural one. You cannot talk about culture without considering politics. And you cannot talk about fashion without understanding the culture sphere it exists within and is inspired by.” she concludes.”
"If we take streetwear brands, they are inherently political and counter-culture,” she adds. “Think back to Supreme putting out the Fuck Bush in 2005 or the t-shirt that said: “Say no to racists, to sexists pigs, to authority figures, to religion, to television, to patriotism, to political ideologies, and any of the thousand and one ways in which this society keeps you from realizing your own needs and desires” It makes sense for Supremes TOV - they’re known for being outspoken. It doesn’t feel inauthentic.”
In this search for meaning, is there an expected mainstream opinion the audience expects all fashion people to stick to or otherwise, like in Nasr's case, are canceled?
“Of course not”, notes Murk.”Just like in other industries, the fashion industry is made up of a lot of different people, with different views. And they are allowed to express themselves”
Cohen believes it's all about being authentic.”The simple t-shirt has been used as a political canvas by designers for decades - right up until the point that it became so expected that it lost all meaning, think of when Dior sent models down the runway saying “We should all be feminists” - once the message is coopted by brands for profit the rebellion is lost and its rendered meaningless.”
So what are we to do?
“Now more than ever we need to use the platforms that we have to advocate for the communities around us that are most in need,” says Cohen.” Conscious consumers will accept nothing less.”
I think fashion is wearable art in many cases, except for all of NYFW, and as such is a perfectly legit medium to express political opinions. There's a long history of it. I can't find the exact quote, but I believe it was Toqueville describing the French court, a jungle of plumes, wigs, and jewelry, the ambassadors in particular dressed to outdo each other. There was just one line, something like, "The American minister (ambassador) was dressed in plain black, as usual."
That was a reminder to the court, the monarch included, of our rejection of elitism and ostentatious displays of wealth and privilege. The French Revolution was inspired by those ideals, albeit misinterpreted by the plebiscite; nonetheless, the way Americans behaved and presented themselves was a constant reminder of the radical notion of liberal democracy in the ultimate authoritarian, caste-based environment.
Supporting a fraught political position about a highly complex situation, however, is abuse of influence, especially in this age when the influence of the fashion world has never been higher, especially among the young whose opinions are informed by groupthink and peer pressure. For example, Michèle Lamy's posts in support of Hamas starting in mid-October are mostly outright antisemitic, which is extremely problematic for a French person, as it is for most of Europe, with the notable exception of the UK.
The rewriting of history about things like the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, now called 'Nakba,' using Islamic fundamentalist propaganda branding of it, has even infected search engines. This is a PR win for terrorism.
This is Israel's problem. It is the only liberal democracy surrounded by textbook fascist states; they know best how to deal with it, even if it means becoming a "pariah," as Senator Schumer called Israel today. My experience of Israelis is they're so used to pariah status that they assume it; his statement today was pure political pandering to young liberals who have been poorly informed by influencers, especially in the fashion world.
In the end, Israel is going to do what it has to do; Schumer is abusing his office by interfering in the affairs of a sovereign nation with rhetoric that supports the notion that we're an empire and Israel is one of our colonies.
Sadly, we're in an election year, and Democrats like Schumer remember how Republicans manipulated a similar hostage crisis in 1979, combined with keeping oil prices high, to oust a good president, Jimmy Carter. All Progressives are doing by supporting Hamas is aiding Trump to win reelection, the man who moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem and whose daughter converted to Orthodox Judaism.
Fashion folk are motivated by images and appearances. If they had the full picture of what's going on, they would sit this one out. I grew up on the frontlines of the Cold War immersed in crazy amounts of political intrigue, deep in the heart of the American establishment that was trying to keep France and Italy from slipping into communism. Left-wing terrorism associated with the PLO was a daily occurrence. I've kept abreast of foreign affairs since then.
Much as I despise the atrocities happening in Gaza and war in general, if I don't feel knowledgeable enough to condemn Israel and join most of the creative community outside of Hollywood in support of the Palestinian cause, then I think the "frivolous" denizens of the fashion world should sit this one out, in the back row.