Can fashion be a force for good?
The industry has a rep for bad behaviour. But some renegade designers are trying to change that
In February 2019, I attended my first Vivienne Westwood show – an emotional, ‘pinch me’ moment. A diverse rabble of models, actors and activists strutted to a backdrop of impassioned monologues on the state of the planet and how we, the human race, must change to get our house in order. It climaxed with Westwood herself skipping round the stage and singing emphatically for more people to ‘buy less, choose well and make it last’. It’s increasingly common for designers to present politically charged performances like this on the catwalk. But do these runway revolutions get noticed outside of the so-called fashion crowd? And crucially, does the awareness raised fuel any change in the long run?
That Westwood show was emblematic of the late designer’s approach to fashion and a lifelong dedication to making change happen. From driving a tank up to former prime minister David Cameron’s home in Oxfordshire in protest of fracking to pitching up outside the Old Bailey in a giant birdcage to call for the release of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks whistleblower, Westwood often stated that crafting beautiful clothes was secondary to speaking up on the issues that truly mattered to her.
In my job as a fashion features director, I’m committed to spotlighting the rising generation of creatives who are similarly intent on using fashion as a force for good. And yes, I know it’s not often that you hear ‘fashion’ and ‘good’ in the same sentence. More commonly, fashion is called out for its elitism and exclusivity, its lack of diversity in terms of race, body types, ability and identity, and its devastating impact on the planet. The list goes on (sadly).
In 2022, fast-fashion brands remained top in Google results, despite the sector’s unsustainable overproduction model, mistreatment of workers and notoriety for ripping off indie designers. Last October, Kanye West’s ninth Yeezy show became
the straw that broke the camel’s back, as he sent corrosive ‘White Lives Matter’ T-shirts around a Parisian car park, kick-starting an almighty backlash. Even the seemingly unshakeable Balenciaga fell from grace late last year, with controversial campaigns leading fans to boycott it. (In response, the fashion house released a statement saying, ‘Balenciaga takes full responsibility’ and that they ‘strongly condemn child abuse’.) To say that I don’t often get bogged down by fashion’s dark side would be a lie. But I’m spurred on by the brilliant creatives with whom I share a common goal – to represent a broader range of people on the runway and beyond.
London is frequently regarded as a pioneering fashion city; a bratty upstart intent on doing things its own way. But for years, it was lagging behind in runway diversity. That is until recently, when graduates from the Royal College of Art, Karoline Vitto and Sinéad O’Dwyer, landed on the schedule for London Fashion Week and used the moment to show their commitment to crafting clothes for larger and differently abled bodies. At their SS23 shows last September, Vitto sent her debut collection out on models all above a UK size 10, and O’Dwyer cast two models who use wheelchairs – almost unheard of within fashion.
And thankfully, they’re not the only ones reassessing exactly what a model ‘should’ look like. A new generation of fashion fans are seeing themselves represented on the catwalk by designers ranging from partygirl fave 16Arlington to cult kilt connoisseur Chopova Lowena in London, Ester Manas in Paris and Eckhaus Latta in New York. And as someone who lived through the ‘size zero’ onslaught of the noughties, that’s a priceless, empowering feeling. (See ya never, ‘heroin chic’.)
Progress towards sustainability is also largely being made by a forward-thinking league of young, rising designers. One
A new generation of fashion fans are seeing themselves represented on the catwalk – and that’s a priceless, empowering feeling standout name to watch is Collina
Strada, which is the brainchild of bonkers Brooklyn creative Hillary
Taymour. Rooted in small-scale production with a zero-waste ethos, Taymour and her ragtag troupe are shifting the narrative on what slow fashion can look like. Out are the shapeless hemp tunics; in their place come avant-garde garments ripped straight from a fantasy role-playing game, crafted from offcuts and recycled materials. Nothing ‘crunchy’ about that, hey?
But is any change coming from these endeavours? I think so. Magazines such as this one are celebrating all kinds of beautiful humans, from differently abled people to those with limb differences and skin conditions. For the second year in a row, Love Island is sponsored by eBay, and the Islanders are influencing the next generation to shop pre-loved clothes. A new crew of slow-fashion influencers are educating their growing audiences about shopping more consciously. And in today’s hyper-online world, where so many people get their news from social media, these moments of fashion revolution can take off and go viral, reaching a bigger global audience than ever before.
When invited to write this article, I was asked to consider who was emblematic of ‘fashion as a force for good’. For me, the answer lies in the hands of the upcoming generation – of whom original trailblazer Vivienne Westwood would surely be proud.