Final major project #4 Researching fashion and politics
Celebrities all around the world have been addressing issues by wearing custom clothing to express political and social injustices. For example, Stormzy wearing a stab-proof vest bearing a black and white Union Jack in his Glastonbury performance “drawing attention to gun crime and the vulnerability of black bodies” (Refinery29, 2019). Another example is where Naomi Campbell wore for London fashion week a dress made out of white leather but had shown a red faux bullet wound. The designer of the dress mentioned on her Instagram:
“I make clothes to challenge people’s minds. This gown is from my collection ‘Coming For Blood’ – delving into the horrific feeling of falling in love. This dress is extremely emotional for me – it screams my lived experience as a black person. It shows no matter how well dressed you are or well behaved, we are time after time seen as a walking target. I’m in a privileged position to be able to speak on issues that others would be silenced on. Inequality is still rife and newspapers clawing at my work is testament to that.” (Refinery29, 2019).
Celebrities understand that they have a platform and are highlighting important issues through their clothing because that’s what tabloids are interested in writing about. Also, another celebrity example is Actress Nathalie Portman who has been vocal about the lack of recognition for women’s’ work in the entertainment industry. In this year’s Academy Awards, “the actress showed up on the red carpet wearing a statement: a black and gold Dior Haute Couture cape embroidered with the names of the female directors who weren’t nominated for an Oscar”(Elle, 2020). Portman states in a video:
“I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year in my subtle way.” The women featured on her cape include Lulu Wang, who directed The Farewell; Greta Gerwig who directed Little Women; Lorene Scafaria who directed Hustlers; Melina Matsoukas, who directed Queen & Slim; Marielle Heller, who directed A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood; Mati Diop, who directed Atlantics; Alma Har’el, who directed Honey Boy; and Céline Sciamma, who directed Portrait of a Lady on Fire(Elle, 2020).
The examples above show people acting alone, but the impact is even greater when people stand together and address a problem through a collective effort. Such as, in the 2018 Golden Globes wardrobe blackout, during the#MeToo movement. In Whitfield article (2019), she explains the reason to why women wore black on the red carpet:
“women adopted the black dress as a means of proclaiming solidarity and conveying an important political message. At one of the most politically charged awards ceremonies in memory, clothes mattered more than ever. The action reminded people that fashion isn’t just glamour but can be about many things, including solidarity and protest. I think this idea has never been as important as it is now”.
Looking at these various celebrity figures, I was able to understand what it means to have a platform and how much of a difference it makes when a campaign can be elevated by someone of that stature.
References:
Aksioma (2019) Adam Harvey: Computer Vision, Surveillance, and Camouflage . Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6V8K2hkAjo
Columbia University (2020) ‘Chinese Fashion Project “Thunderclap” Spreads Writings Featured in the Weatherhead Book on Asia “The Birth of Chinese Feminism” ‘ . Available at: http://weai.columbia.edu/chinese-fashion-project-thunderclap-spreads-writings-featured-in-the-weatherhead-book-on-asia-the-birth-of-chinese-feminism/
Feller, M.(2020) ‘ Natalie Portman’s Oscars Dress Is A Tribute To All The Female Directors Who Got Snubbed’, Elle, 10 Feb. Available at: https://www.elle.com/fashion/celebrity-style/a30839105/natalie-portman-dress-oscars-2020-female-directors/
Tarlo, E. (2010). Visibly Muslim: Fashion, Politics, Faith. London: Bloomsbury Academic. Retrieved April 22 2020, from http://dx.doi.org.arts.idm.oclc.org/10.2752/9781847888624
Thunderclap (2017). Available at: https://thenewnushu.hotglue.me/
Whitfield, Z. (2019)’What Does It Mean To Be Political With Fashion In 2019?’, Refinery29, 18 October. Available at: https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/politics-in-fashion