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Kelsey Ritz

Professor Campbell

UWART 1104

April 4 2018

Fashion: The Silent Protest

Fashion is an art, something that is a part of every culture, and it can be an artistic way of

silent expression. Fashion can be seen in every society and is visible in many different shapes,

forms, and sizes. However, can fashion have both a positive and a negative effect on society,

political views, or even in an economic sense? The answer to this question is yes, fashion can

have an impact on all these areas. Now a days with an era in which expressions of your views is

widely encouraged, people are able to use fashion as a silent communication. This new way of

expression may be able to help large controversial issues and make them less aggressive and

make them a more peaceful way to dress them. Although, with all change comes conflict within

environments, so with some many supporters comes just as many non-supporters.

It is clearly known and visible that in century there are no shortage of controversies and

activist who are ready to speak their mind. With that being said there are many ways people can

express themselves and their views; protests, social media, and even through fashion. Fashion

has always been a way of expression and recently fashion has been used to express controversial

issues. Most recently designers have been using the runways to speak out about certain issues,

“For a season occurring at a time when clothing has become a vehicle of public messaging in a

way it rarely has before, the runways themselves have been strikingly silent,” (Freidman)

according to the article from the New York Time, Politics Come to the New York Runways. This
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could be considered a bold way to make a statement because they are risking their artistic ability

to stand up for something that they believe in. Not only are the movements visible on the

runways, but also, as Venessa Freidman makes reference to, statements through fashion are also

being made by well know celebrities. This article even give an example of how celebrities

showed their support for Time’s Up, the movement that battles sexual assault and gender

inequality. The celebrities where able to were able to show their support by wearing all black,

which gives a very strong example as to how fashion can be a form for silent but powerful

expression. In order to make these statements know and executed fairly designers must not be

afraid to voice their opinions and be confident in their creations. Freidman gives and example of

designer Mr. Jean-Raymond who “has never been afraid of tackling big issues — his shows have

addressed police brutality, the economic downturn and Bernie L. Madoff — but while this may

have marginalized the designer in the past, it makes his work feel particularly relevant today,”

proving that if one knows how to get their message across the more of an impact it will have on

society. Overall activist movements are becoming more and more clear on the runways and

through different statements of fashion.

There is one thing that one cannot ignore when it come to activist movements and major

controversies, that is that politics will some how play a part in the issues at hand. When in doubt

one can always count on politics to put in its two sense on a movement in order to become

relatable in the publics eye. One of the most recent events, of fashion, being brought into to

politics was at the most recent State of the Union Address. One would have been able to say that

the room was full of silent chatter being spoken by Democratic women’s fashion choices for the

night. As Robin Givhan from the Washington Post states, the women were described as “cloaked
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mostly in black spoke of exasperation, frustration and anger” on their way to standing up for

rights that they believe need to addressed. Although these women might have been angered they

did not let it show through words but rather through peaceful, assertive stamens of wearing all

black to address their feelings. Furthermore, political figures were portrayed as “These

legislators, these representatives of the people, these voices of the voiceless, have turned to silent

symbolism in the face of intractability and refusal,” (Givhan) women with the purpose to send a

menage to anyone who will listen. This is another prime example of how fashion can be used to

send a message peacefully and with poise. This fashion statement was also similar to the one

scene on the runways, to raise awareness for sexual harassment and gender inequality. This

movement seem to be the most pressing issue to many people if it effecting both the celebrity

social world and the political social world. Although with one statement who can have as much

effect on a situation as the other this article also point out that “there is real currency in what

actresses wear on the red carpet” (Givhan) meaning that celebrities might have a bigger pull on

the publics eye than politicians.

While the some Democratic women chose to make a statement wearing all black some of

the Republican politicians decided to makes a statement of their own. A select few of these

women decided to wear “red, white and blue to celebrate the military, the flag. . . the country,

patriotism, grandma and apple pie,” (Givhan) to show pride in this country. The conclusion one

might draw from this statement is that all things in politics can be sticky when one party decides

to make a statement, the other always wants to compete for the spotlight. Although, this was just

skepticism according to Givhan so one should also not read to much into certain fashion

statements that people make, unless it is well know they are trying to send a message.
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Clearly fashion is Great way to express problems that involve many people even if it does

not effect the designers or those who are the face of designers they will do what they need to be

the voice of others. Even in the face of their own pressing issues models and designers are able

to support and stand up for others. Being in the eye of the public, these voices of the voiceless

must put aside their own problems and put on a strong front to stand up for things to benefit the

good of society, even if they have their own internal conflicts. As Janelle Okwodu point out in

her article The Modeling World’s Sudanese Stars Share Their Stories “The hundreds of beauties

gracing the runways each season are, at the end of the day, people with issues, concerns, and

histories all their own,” meaning that not only do they fight for others but must also fight through

their own problems. So, who fights for their hardships? They themselves are actually the one

who solve their own problems, through their work. These models who face struggles work “for

the hope of enacting change and using their platforms for good,” (Okwodu) some even hopping

to bring change to their change to their own problems. Even thought these model may struggle

through their problems, they clearly do not let this effect their work effort. Okwodu even points

out how “these young people have overcome countless challenges to achieve their goals,”

proving that they are dedicated to making a change for others. These models are able to use

fashion as an outlet, a way of expression, not only for themselves but for the voice of others.

What happens behind the scenes in the fashion world? Well, with all the controversies

and movement fashion can address, there is also arguments in the fashion wold that are side

effects of bringing activism into fashion. Some fashion designers have expressed their concerns

on how they “don’t want to get to a place where women have to suppress their sense of

self” (Freidman) feeling that a movement in which women wear all black might not be the best
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approach. There is a reasonable counter solution that some designers believe to a better

approach, they believe that “color can be a show of strength, as well” (Freidman) while not

totally against fighting for right, these designers just want fashion to be used in a different way in

this situation. Another issue that designers are staring to see on the runway is that people are

starting focus their designers more controversy’s than the actual quality of the clothes

themselves. Some designers and critics even go as a far to say “It makes the collections, pretty as

they can be, lack a certain currency,” (Freidman) while not totally bashing the designs, making

an observation of how designers are beaching distracted from their work. This leads to the

question should fashion should be used as a weapon, and way to send a message, while also

compromising it at the same time.

Fashion can be used as an outlet for many forms of expression like activism, a way to

express emotion, or a way to share ones creativity. Fashion has a bigger effect on society than

one may think, we are able to stand up for what we believe in through fashion. With so much

slander and aggressive forms of activism out in the world today fashion is a fresh new way to

express ones feeling ore peacefully and silent. One is able to get their message across silently,

possibly making more people want to take part in these types of movements. Even politicians is

taking part in bold fashion statements in order send messages, means that the way of the future in

order to send a message could rely on the fashion world. While there is still some conflict over

how much involvement fission should have on protest and movements it seems to be more and

more useful when trying to voice an opinion peacefully.

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Work Cited

Friedman, Vanessa. “Politics Comes to the New York Runways.” The New York Times, The New

York Times, 12 Feb. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/fashion/prabal-gurung-pyer-

moss.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fvanessa-

friedman&action=click&contentCollection=undefined®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&versi

on=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=collection.

Givhan, Robin. “Perspective | At the State of the Union, fashion puts women on mute.” The

Washington Post, WP Company, 30 Jan. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-

entertainment/wp/2018/01/30/at-the-state-of-the-union-fashion-puts-women-on-mute/?

utm_term=.4b778eeb78b8.

Okwodu, Janelle. “Model Citizens: How a New Generation of Sudanese Star Is Changing

Fashion for the Better.” Vogue, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2018, www.vogue.com/article/model-

citizens-sudanese-refugees.