Can fashion be used as a medium to protest against war?

While people in Ukraine ran for cover in underground bunkers to shelter themselves from the hail of bombs, not too far away, models were strutting down catwalks in designer clothes while opulent celebrities watched. It feels almost wrong to have had fashion week transpire in Paris and London in February when the wheels of war were in motion just a few thousand miles away in Ukraine.

While one may have presumed fashion week would have diverted people’s attention from the war, it actually did the opposite. By luxury labels like Balenciaga and Giorgio Armani dedicating their shows to the people of Ukraine, they pulled focus back onto the crisis in Europe through fashion and let the world know that a major industry valued at three trillion USD would not condone bloodshed and war.

As a show of fraternity, Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia designed an innovative catwalk where models had to battle against man-made harsh weather conditions in a life-size snow globe. This was symbolic of the “fearlessness, to resistance, and to the victory of love and peace,” as stated in Gvasalia’s letter left on the seats for guests. Alongside the letter, oversized t-shirts which donned the official colours of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow were placed. Similarly, Giorgio Armani broke the norm of playing background music during a fashion show and kept it a silent one to pay respect to the Ukrainian people.

These gestures of dedicating the AW22 Balenciaga and Giorgio Armani fashion shows in solidarity was a big one and raised awareness about the war in the west. It unified fashion aficionados and anti-war activists by promoting open discourse about the Russian-Ukraine war. Fashion is also influential in moulding public opinion and clothing has been used as a symbol of protest, since the 60s. For example, during the Hippie counterculture movement where people condemned the Vietnam War, protestors in the US wore military jackets plastered with peace and love signs to make a statement and unify people towards a cause. Similarly, with the dual colours of the Ukrainian national flag being used to bring the war into perspective, the fashion industry is doing its part to attempt to unite the masses and instil change.

Revolutions are the result of a snowball effect starting with public opinion and ending in sanctions. When public opinion turns against a country, people from around the world who share the sentiment encourage their governments to take measures like imposing sanctions on an aggressor which could bring about change.

Even Gvasalia, who is a refugee, resonated the sentiment of a fashion show being menial during a time of crisis but in his letter stated: “Fashion week feels like some kind of absurdity. But then I realised that cancelling this show would mean giving in, surrendering to the evil that has already hurt me so much for almost 30 years.” As an industry valued at three trillion USD, as per fashion united the onus falls on them to spread awareness as they have the power and platform to influence change or at least start a movement. By also holding the fashion shows but devoting it to Ukraine they kept the crisis relevant, in the news and ensured it was not something that could be forgotten.

While the designers are currently doing a great job at raising awareness and uniting people, there is a double standard to the fashion industry’s protest against war. Luxury labels did not dedicate their whole shows to denounce wars in the middle east or genocides in countries in Africa. Instead, they used Instagram squares, and some did not even acknowledge the unrest in these places. War is not a trend. Deciding which war to rebuke based on a trending hashtag on Twitter is not alright. If measures are taken to raise awareness about one country in distress the same measures must be applied to all others regardless of whether they are in Europe or in Africa.

Edited by Maddy Burgess