Why is fashion closely linked to activism?

Fashion and Activism has always been intertwined. Throughout the course of time, they have evolved together. Both have the power to bring forth change in each other. From Civil rights movement to Black lives matter movement, fashion has always been there as a constant companion, as a means of support, a voice of thoughts and a way to express ideas and beliefs. Fashion has always been a way to express individuality, to make a statement, to show whom you stand with and what you stand for.

Fashion Activism, a term described by Wikipedia, ‘as the practice of using fashion as a medium for social and environmental change’, was coined by Céline Semaan in 2012. As the founder of SlowFactory, Semaan has truly empowered and brought forth the focus on this term.

Looking in from the outside, it would be easy to presume that fashion activism is the domain of seasoned activists and impassioned advocates.

The question is why fashion closely linked to activism? How does fashion support activists? How does fashion help to express? Let’s understand this through these movements.

Jewellery: Jewellery has always been a means to make a statement and in a broad sense, can be political.

• Michelle Obama’s V-O-T-E necklace: This masterpiece was designed by ByChari, a small Los Angeles-based jewellery company owned by Chari Cuthbert, who is African American. Women always use jewellery to make point. Obama, who is known for using her clothes to create a visual message, used this necklace, to express her support for Joe Biden for evisceration of Donald Trump.

• Dignity Key: The founder of SlowFactory, Celina, popularized Fashion activism through her collections. One of the most popular of them is the Dignity key, a necklace with which people can show support for displaced Middle Eastern refugees.

Color scheme: Color is often used as a defining factor, for example, yellow represents piousness, and red represents love as well as anger. Likewise, different protests across the globe have used various colors to signify various beliefs. The suffragettes, who campaigned for Women’s right to vote in England, used purple, green and white to represent dignity, purity and hope. This color scheme not only brought visual unity but also created a positive unfeminine image into the eyes of contemporary public. The Black Panther Party opted for complete black look to protest against racial discrimination, to spread the message about liberation and black pride. The black overalls represented ‘Black is Beautiful’.

To express contrasting views- Fashion can be used to express contrasting support. One of the most popular of Celina’s collection is the Banned Scarf, showing the universal impact of President Trump's Muslim ban, and a '1st Amendment Flight Jacket' collaboration with ACLU, featuring the First Amendment text is written in Arabic, standing up to the rise in islamophobia in the United States and hate crimes against American Muslims. On the contrary, Trump supporting mass, wore hats that said‘Make America Great Again’

No matter what era, fashion will always remain entangled with activism, a code that goes far beyond any aesthetic. Fashion will always remain a tool for the desperate voices, demanding change. Clothes symbolises one’s belief and values and hence fashion will always acts a means of equality, to foster a feeling of pride and integrity and unite same perspective of various communities.

- Kirti Madhu