Remember when the phrase “I don’t get involved in politics” used to be the fashion industry’s favorite thing to say? In light of our political climate today, creatives can no longer ignore the American system that has divided our country for the 2020 United States Election.
I mean, Vogue Magazine publicly announced its political preference to its 29.1 million followers on Instagram and after receiving some backlash, released the statement, “Fashion is political.” It’s a long time coming from the world’s number one fashion magazine, but let’s not get into the nitty-gritty details of the party preference.
2020 marks the year where the industry is actively encouraging people to vote! Why are they doing this? Let’s visit the obvious. People are no longer excusing companies from ignoring their civic responsibilities. We’ve seen countless companies get canceled for engaging in unethical labor practices or not being environmentally sustainable. People are now holding the fashion industry accountable for their lack of participation in politics, and the pressure has made brands such as Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Louis Vuitton use their platform to encourage followers to vote.
But why is it a big deal? I mean they’re finally doing something they’re supposed to be doing, right? Well, yes, but it gets even better than this.
Abrima Erwiah, Co-Founder of Studio 189, launched Fashion Our Future 2020 with the support of Rosario Dawson, Co-Founder of Studio 189 and Voto Latino, a campaign aimed toward empowering one million people to vote in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election by November 3rd. Fashion Our Future has 47 partners with IMG Fashion, Refinery 29, and Tanya Taylor being just three. The campaign started a hashtag #ModelVoter, and has amassed 2.5 million views on TikTok and 100+ posts on Instagram by users sharing they voted and encouraging their social networks to do the same.
So, it looks like the campaign was a success because the message reached well over one million people! And when we thought things got better, Fashion Our Future 2020 released a voting-inspired collection in partnership with other brands to celebrate Americans’ right to vote and empower women to use their voices at the polls. Wearing a t-shirt that reads something as simple as “VOTE” is a reminder to passersby that their voice matters.
The fashion industry has become more involved in politics this year than we would have ever previously imagined. I mean who would have imagined September 2020 New York Fashion Week (NYFW) would be trending with voting?
But with that, I’ll leave you with one question. Were you a #ModelVoter this year?