When fashion spotlights society

Central Image: From the fashion show It’s Only a Game (Alexander McQueen, 2005) | Image source: cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net

Fashion has always influenced socio-political affairs. People falling under the artistic spectrum, politicians and mere “mortals” can express themselves, their attitude towards life, and even their political positions or their power, through their wardrobe choices. Of course, always behind individual choices lies a trend, set by the great fashion houses, which, especially in the last years, offer food for thought concerning many contemporary issues. But do all fashion designers have the ability to view society without turning a blind eye to its flaws and foresee upcoming changes? The answer to this question is negative for the most part but there are still those who can follow the natural course of things and prove worthy of the circumstances, sidelining profit for the sake of social awareness.

Fashion and environmental awareness

It is obvious that the difficulty of a major fashion house to adapt to the circumstances stems from the policy of profit and the target audience of each brand. This may be easier to understand if we consider the buzz that emerged when fashion industry “titans” such as Prada, Versace, Gucci, Armani and more recently Valentino, banned the use of real fur, a move that “coincided” with the -still ongoing- struggle to save the planet and raise environmental awareness. After this move, almost suddenly, real fur was considered out of fashion and its replacement with other materials monopolized the interest of consumers and designers. Stella McCartney is perhaps the most well-known example of ecological consciousness in the field of fashion, with the promotion, for several years now, of more sustainable raw materials and the universal prohibition of the use of fur, leather and other animal products in her collections. The above are replaced with recyclable plastic, leather with mushrooms and special silk was developed from spider webs.

From a S. McCartney campaign in 2017 | Image source: harpersbazaararabia.com

Undoubtedly, although not all fashion designers follow the same policy, major “fashion weeks” tend to ban fur, regardless of the personal will of each fashion house. The latest example of this ecological shift is that of Copenhagen Fashion Week (Spring/Summer 2023), which has announced that it will be fur-free this time. This decision, indisputably, affects enormous economic interests, however, at the same time, it gives impetus to a mass response to a major problem.

Of course, the influence that fashion can exert is not only about ecological consciousness but about highlighting problems that come from a wide social and political spectrum.

The socio-political aspect of fashion

Already in the 1980s and 1990s, when the major fashion houses were considered synonymous with the ultimate lifestyle - let’s not forget that this was the great era of supermodels, which, for the first time, enjoyed equal fame with musicians and actors- and luxury and over-consumption were at their peak, with the showbusiness and fashion industries promoting a lifestyle that was detached from social reality, certain fashion designers tried to stand out, focusing their attention to society. For instance, in 1989, Martin Margiela presents his SS90 show in a very out-of-the-ordinary way. On the outskirts of Paris, Margiela goes against the fashion status quo. He experiments with the space, removing the front seats, and letting neighbourhood kids watch the show from the front row, while the floor remains sloppy and dirty, just like the neighbourhood street. The same pattern was followed by the clothing line but also by the entire presentation, which did not at all resemble the impeccable work of the other well-known designers of the time and the places they chose to present their work.

SS90 Fashion Show (1989) | Image source: assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com

Margiela’s show was praised by the fashion industry, which, even though superficially, started to re-examine the importance of inclusivity. Today, many fashion houses actively take a stand on the admittedly numerous issues that plague our times. Movements, such as MeToo, were also supported by different fashion shows, like the Chanel 2015 Fashion Show, while Dior and Fendi highlighted feminism by presenting more empowering outfits in both the Milan and Paris Fashion Week of 2020. 

Dior AW20 | Image source: static01.nyt.com

Other than making social references, many fashion designers have openly expressed themselves politically. At Paris Fashion Week in 2015, Walter van Beirendonck made a clear statement against terrorism, broaching the Charlie Hebdo attacks of the same year. 

Walter van Beirendonck (Paris Fashion Week, 2015) | Image source: i.pinimg.com

Of course, we could not overlook Alexander McQueen and the ambiguous for many, iconic for others, shows of the 1990s. From the cover of DAZED in 1998 - where for the first time perhaps a person with artificial body parts was represented in fashion -to 2001's Voss-, whose fashion show openly referenced mental health disorders, a taboo subject at the time- McQueen was there to provoke thought and, more often than not, extreme feelings about events and issues surrounding society.

From Voss (Spring-Summer 2001, Alexander McQueen) | Image source: images.squarespace-cdn.com

More specifically, through the cover of DAZED, McQueen was the first to start the conversation on the diverse spectrum of beauty, distancing himself from “classic” beauty. In this way, he gave to marginalised individuals access to a world where, up until then, only “perfection” could be highlighted. 

Alexander McQueen (collaboration with Nick Knight and Katy England), 1998 | Image source: images-prod.dazeddigital.com

Fashion Revolution

But in addition to dealing with the exploitation outside of the industry, the fashion world also has to deal with the exploitation taking part within it. To highlight and confront this issue, mainly located in the supply chain, Fashion Revolution, a non-profit movement, was founded in 2013 and collaborates with over 130 countries around the world. The founding year is no coincidence since in 2013 the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1,134 workers. The factory, which manufactured clothes on behalf of large houses and fast-fashion chains, including Prada, Gucci, Versace, Benetton, Mango, Primark, Walmart, etc., had structural flaws, which had been repeatedly reported by the workers but to no avail. So, to give voice to the workers behind the glamour of fashion shows, Fashion Revolution and its founders, Carry Somers and Orsola de Castro, attempt to answer the question Who Made My Clothes? bringing attention to the need for more transparency in the fashion industry, aiming to raise awareness about worker’s rights, which always seem to be sidelined.

Image source: cpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com

Of course, even though the movement actively tries to mobilise consumers and inform governmental institutions, with the unexpected support of many fast-fashion companies, it was to be expected that it would receive a slew of criticism from brands that question its methods. 

Honest concern or just a trend?

The policies adopted by the fashion industry seem to be triggering a shift in society, setting an example for crucial change and social awareness. However, whether the adoption of these policies is voluntary cannot be answered positively or negatively for now. An example of the questionable "social sensitivity practices" is the shift of major fashion houses to bringing back very thin models in this year's Paris Fashion Week, which is in stark contrast to the houses' policies on inclusion and promotion of the "Body Positivity" movement. Thus, we understand that only time will tell if fashion will continue moving in a more socially positive path. Either way, for better or worse, it will always influence public opinion.

Sources/Further reading

J. Waters (2015). Fashion’s most iconic political statements. At: dazeddigital.com.

M. Zee (2020). What Stella McCartney Taught Us About Sustainability. At: lofficielusa.com.

Υ. Kim (2022). COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES TO GO FUR-FREE. At: hypebae.com.

Vrencoska, Gordana. (2009). POLITICAL STATEMENTS IN CONCEPTUAL FASHION: THE VOICE OF NATIONAL SENTIMENTS AS A SELF-REFERENCE IN THE READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTIONS OF ALEXANDER McQUEEN AND HUSSEIN CHALAYAN. 

Sustainable Fashion: The New Luxury | Marina Spadafora | TEDxLaRomana. At: youtube.com. 

Caroline Elenowitz-Hess (2022) Reckoning with Highland Rape: Sexuality, Violence, and Power on the Runway, Fashion Theory, 26:3, 399-417, DOI: 10.1080/1362704X.2020.1846325

**Watch the full Balenciaga Fashion Show 2023: youtu.be.

More on  Fashion Revolution Movement, at: fashionrevolution.org.