So what exactly is Performative activism in fashion?

So what exactly is performative activism? In layman language we can say it's when people or influencers participate in an activist movement, not because they believe or support the cause but because they need to be popular or follow the trend. It is a fake, or rather an acutely shallow form of activism that often occurs online on social sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Typically, this activist act is done on purpose to seem that the person is a component of something or to seem like the person has equivalent interests as his/her followers. Other times, the person may roll in the hay naively, not realizing that his stories and posts aren't like doing any actual work to cause a change. Another example of performative activism includes celebrities or influencers posting images of themselves ‘protesting’ or supporting any community or movement, which are just photo ops to gain popularity among that community too.

If you're keen on fashion, you're probably guilty of owning something from a quick fashion brand. These fast-fashion brands are embroiled in controversies and accusations like using cheap raw materials, cutting off labors pay and rights etc. and consumers have been demanding more transparency. In the past weeks, we've seen how some fashion companies, when supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement, are called out for performative activism. However, this is not the first time fast-fashion brands have been called out. This article aims to examine how one of the world’s largest fast-fashion retailers, INDITEX, has tried to mask controversies surrounding their working conditions with performative acts.

Activism isn't a piece that's alleged to be ‘trendy’. It’s not a competition of who can be the most ‘woke’ person; this work is continuous and takes effort beyond our phones and couches. So how can we confirm that what we do isn't merely a performance for the gram? First, we need to make sure that we are truly informed about the issues. This comes from not just picking and choosing the facts that make us comfortable. We need to understand the history of the cause we would like to support, and sometimes even got to admit the roles we'd or won't have played in perpetuating oppressive systems which we can only do so by accepting the honest, more uncomfortable narratives.

Secondly, we'd like to be consistent in our support. No cause or movement needs fair-weather allies. What we are saying on social media must be the precise same things we can follow in the real world. At the top of the day, what we are posting on social media is useless if we’re not also questioning and dealing with ourselves. This by no means is saying that social media doesn’t play any role in bringing about change. But while they’re not singing or making hollow videos, such posts, raised fists, and punctiliously ghost-written words mean nothing if we all know it’s for show. Such words are necessary, but they’re just the bare minimum. Without concrete action behind them, they only serve to let people, celebrities and organizations off the hook. And the only thing worse than no effort is fake effort.

SABYASACHI X HM

A few weeks back, a hyped-up collaboration between Indian couturier Sabyasachi and fast fashion brand H&M dropped amid much media frenzy. But whilst the Instagram feeds of influencers and celebrities were splashed with outfits from the new drop, a neighbourhood of social media users called out the collaboration for one glaring reason.

Many fingers were raised on Sabyasachi like why a designer like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, with a well-known brand that is synonymous with slow fashion and worker ethics, would collaborate with a fast-fashion brand that has been accused of exploiting its workers' rights and harming the environment for years but using cheap and low-quality raw materials for clothes. Here Sabyasachi was accused of performative activism as he preached slow and sustainable fashion but collaborated with a big fast fashion brand like H&M, which raised many questions about him and his ethics.

Some comments by sustainable fashion activists:

“Sabyasachi banks on slow fashion and built his brand using handlooms which will be passed down generations,” Aikum Bhatti, an entrepreneur who runs a sustainable fashion platform, told VICE World News. “But this collection looks like a greenwashing [attempt], and is hypocritical because it’s not sustainable or empowering artisans in India in any way.” Greenwashing may be a term used when companies deliberately inflate their environment “Sabyasachi wanted to bring textile culture to a worldwide audience,” said Rishi. “But he could have done that in a way that uplifted and empowered the workers of the brand rather than collaborating with a brand that mass produces clothes in a potentially mismanaged factory.” and ethical values.

- Siddharth