It’s a whole thing
The industry has a rep for bad behaviour. But some renegade designers are trying to change that
I n 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 la
