Politics has always had an influence in fashion whether it be slogan t-shirts, shorter hems, bold colours or simply controversial styles. However with the turbulent political scene this year seeing Donald Trump being elected has sparked a new wave for political statements to be made through fashion. The most recent New York fashion week to showcase fall 2017 saw a huge trend of political statements. It all began with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) creating pink buttons to stand with planned parenthood following Trump’s public opposition to the organisation. These buttons were just one small way fashion week showed their political stance.
Another trend that has been regenerated this season is the political slogan T-shirts. Alice + Olivia came out with the slogan “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Showing subtle but effective opposition to the far right views of Trump. Then the most obvious form of rebellious propaganda in New York fashion week was from Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School, they had red caps with the slogan “Make America New York,” emulating the Trump caps from his campaign trail. These political statements are a way for people to wear their political beliefs and views they are passionate about for the whole world to see. This comes from a trend movement into more expressive and statement ways of dressing. The anger amongst the population t the political scene of today is so clearly represented in fashion today and even top luxury brands such as Dior are making and statement and released a feminist slogan t-shirt for fall 2017. This rise in the interest in politics and the rebellion against politics today could spark a whole new era in fashion. References Estrop. (2017)Trump hat at NYFW. Available at: https://www.glamour.com/story/new-york-fashion-week-politics (Accessed: 24 October 2017). Fairhurst, K.(2017) Planned Parenthood fashion buttons. Available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/karenhua/2017/02/07/new-york-fashion-week-goes-pink-cfda-partners-with-planned-parenthood/#724864557b53 (Accessed: 3 October 2017) Samaha, B. (2017)How Politics Became The Biggest Trend At New York Fashion Week Fall 2017. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/barrysamaha/2017/02/25/how-politics-became-the-biggest-trend-at-new-york-fashion-week-fall-2017/#29229e6d77c3 (Accessed: 3 October 2017)
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Anna Sui is a well known designer who is best known for her creative, extraordinary and cultural designs. Throughout her collections we can see South East Asia influences. These influences in her designs come through in the bold colours and cartoon style images and patterns. Sui cleverly pulled all of these influences together in a more urban New York way to mix the cultures. This mixture could be what breaks the barriers between Sui’s designs and art. Sui’s designs are traditionally very artistic and extreme making them less commercial. However over the years she has further developed the brand and style of her collections to make them more commercially accessible.
One thing that is noticeable with both her designs and the artwork used to package and promote her products is that in the early 1990’s her artwork had a cartoon style and used a lot of bold colours in a manga style, this represented the heavy influences Sui used from South East Asia. Where as in the early 2000’s we can see a development in the art work, she uses a grunge and pagan style. This change in artwork can also represent the change in style of collection that Sui has developed, which during the last decade has changed to a grunge and punk style. However this style has incorporated a feminine colour palette and fabrics to continue Sui’s arty feminine reputation. One large influence on Sui to go down a grungier style route could be the growing trend for grunge and urban themes that relate to the trends we are seeing on the high street. This could be because the trend of fashion as an art form is slowly fading and minimalist commercially accessible looks are appearing on the runway to emulate the commercial trends. References: The world of Anna Sui (2017) [Exhibition].Fashion and textile museum, London: 26 May 2017- 1 October 2017. Taylor, A.(2017) Anna Sui exhibition. Vivienne Westwood is a designer everyone has heard of, whether you are a fashionista or anti-fashion you know her name. She opened her first shop, Let It Rock, at 430 King's Road and then in 1974 it was renamed Sex; selling anarchy tops with logos as controversial as the Nazi logo. The shop had the slogan ‘rubberwear for the office’ (Vivienne Westwood, no date). These expressive, controversial punk clothes even lead to people getting arrested and these tops got confiscated. This controversial punk movement that Westwood attached herself to and became one of the lead fashion icons in the movement came from the recessions at the time. British youth came out and wanted to go against the establishment and show their opinions in a creative way. Young said the music influence of the punk era inspired people that you 'did not need to be able to play an instrument to be in a band - you just had to have something to say.' (2002).
Westwood's business partner at the time was McLaren, together they promoted clothing through dressing punk bands such as the Sex Pistols which worked outstandingly well. They were able to really target the London rebellious style culture in a way that appealed to them. Westwood's romance with punk culture came to and end with the collapse of the Sex Pistols and the acceptance of Punk into mainstream culture. References: Boyes, M. (2017) Vivienne Westwood. Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/vivienne-westwood-biography (Accessed: 06 November 2017). Unknown. (1976) Alan Jones, Chrissie Hynde, Jordan and Vivienne Westwood at ‘Sex’, Kings Road. Available at: http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/a-brief-history-of-punk-fashion-79145 (Accessed: 07 November 2017). Unknown. (1976) The Sex Pistols. Available at: https://therake.com/stories/icons/vivienne-westwood-rebel-with-a-cause/ (Accessed: 07 November 2017). Vivienne Westwood(2017) 430 Kings Road. Available at: http://www.viviennewestwood.com/en-gb/history/430-kings-road (Accessed: 06 November 2017). Youngs, I. (2017) A brief history of punk. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2601493.stm (Accessed: 06 November 2017). Jiroe. (2018) Melrose Sunset. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/0BwMq5Qp8Lk (Accessed: 08 June 2020). |
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