New York Fashion Week Gets Political

New York Fashion Week ended on Thursday, February 16, 2017 after a long 7 days of shows from our favorite designers, new designers, and even some celebs who decided to have a collection make a fashion week debut. There was something very different about this fashion week, the CFDA and a lot of designers made a lot of political references throughout the week.

            For starters, front row guests were greeted to their seats with hot pink pins that read, “Fashion Stands With Planned Parenthood.” Sheesh, talk about a diss! Not only did the CFDA sponsor these buttons, but for every picture posted of the button on social media they agreed to donate $5 to Planned Parenthood. Politics and fashion never really co-exist, but this season designers expressed their grief and anger through the themes of their collections.

            Nicholas K opened fashion week with a 90’s-themed, Black Panther collection. Models walked the runway in metallic over-the-knee boots with long metallic coats, jogger pants, and hats that resembled Black Panther hats. He had an African-American female rapper spit “Black Magic” bars as the Nicholas K models walked the runway. The theme of the show was “The Revolution,” preparing fashion for the changes that will soon be seen throughout the country, but keeping the hope and happiness alive through design.

            Nicholas K did not stand alone in expressing political stances through his designs. Another show that made their feelings known was Chromat— after a show of sheer cover ups, inflatable puffer jackets and bikinis the show closed playing a song titled “F*ck Donald Trump,” while the theme of the show was supposed to represent being in survival mode. While collaborating with an outdoor company, Klymit, Chromat designed life jacket like coats and clothing that represented surviving in our new reality.

            The Fall-Winter 2017/18 collections have proved to us that fashion is indeed standing for something and ready to face the changes that are coming in the near future while insuring us that fashion will be just fine.