Vote Or Die: Why Designers Can (and Should) Declare Their Position
Vote Or Die: Why Designers Can (and Should) Declare Their Position
Anonim
Louis Vuitton Spring / Summer 2021
Louis Vuitton Spring / Summer 2021

IMaxTree

By 2020, it became clear that it was simply impossible to ignore politics. It permeates all spheres of society - whatever you do. This is especially noticeable in the light of all recent events - the pandemic and the resulting global economic crisis, "Brexit" and the most important (and strangest) presidential elections in US history. Fashion also did not stand aside. It seems that there are almost no designers left who in recent seasons have not somehow expressed their political position in the collections. Everyone has made at least one T-shirt with the slogan. Nevertheless, from time to time the question still arises: should fashion in general be a space for political statements? We, however, have a counter-question to this: was she not once?

Protest
Protest

Fotobank

Let's be honest: clothing throughout modern history has been a simple and visual way to state your position. Using characteristic colors and silhouettes, you could always indicate your belonging to a particular social group or express your opinion without saying a word. For example, the white shade at the beginning of the last century was associated with the suffragette movement, and the black leather jacket and beret in the 60s were the unspoken symbols of the Black Panthers, a left-wing radical party that fought for the rights of African Americans. And although fashion, with its inherent elitism, seemed apolitical for a long time, in fact it never was. At its core, fashion is a social construct. And like any product of our society, it "mirrors" all the changes taking place in it. Everything that happens in politicseconomy and culture is reflected in it in one way or another - no matter how far from it the ateliers of large fashion houses and private shows for the press and buyers may seem. It was, is and always will be.

Yves saint laurent
Yves saint laurent

Fotobank

In the last century, designers, be it Paul Poiret, Gabrielle Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent, created women's trousers - not for purely aesthetic reasons, but in order to indicate the changed place of women in society. It was simply impossible to work and fight for equal rights in corsets, bustles and crinolines - and therefore much more comfortable things replaced them. In the 80s, "power dressing" appeared with its angular masculine silhouettes, "broad shouldered" jackets and wide trousers - and here again there was a clear social and political overtones. Women began to more actively penetrate into business and politics, which means that they needed to visually indicate their equality with men - romantic floral dresses did not fit into this paradigm. And in the 90s, in the wake of general fatigue from ostentatious consumption, the Cold War,the arms race and the threat of HIV nihilism has taken over fashion. Deconstructivism, grunge, “heroin chic” and the decadence of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano - the denial of everything conventionally beautiful has also essentially become a response to the challenges of the times.

Maison Martin Margiela Spring / Summer 2021
Maison Martin Margiela Spring / Summer 2021

@ margiela.archive

It turns out that fashion has always in one way or another been a field for reflection. So the wave of political and social activism that swept it in the 2010s is more than understandable and predictable. True, this raises an important new question: to what extent do designers' statements converge with their actions? The world is tired of empty words - it needs actions. Society is more polarized than ever. If you are not "for" - you are automatically "against". All the so-called new ethics are based on this. Nowadays, you can't just sit quietly in the corner - everyone is required to be active. And most importantly, the actions that reinforce her. Making a T-shirt with the words "Vote" is not enough - "T-shirt activism" has long caused only resentment. It is also impossible to simply post a black square in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on Instagram, you also need to help financially. Releasing rainbow merch in Pride month is not enough either, let a percentage of its sales go towards fighting homophobia. And claims of feminism must be followed by important personnel changes in accordance with all the rules of inclusiveness. So there is no point in arguing about the place of politics in fashion - we will not go anywhere from it. The main thing is that it doesn't turn into another marketing tool.

Christian Dior spring-summer 2017
Christian Dior spring-summer 2017

IMaxTree

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