The past couple of years have seen high fashion take a turn towards feminism. Whether this ‘woke’ fashion is simply a step in the right direction, a passing trend or an amalgamation of the two is still unclear. Looking back to Karl Lagerfeld’s 2014 show for Chanel, the Prabul Nurung or Dior slogan tees from fall 2017, the trend seems to be thriving.
The fashion industry worldwide has long been accused of being exploitative of women and complicit to their abuse in the industry. The trend towards a ‘feminist’ future couldn’t have been better timed. Whether it is feminist slogan tees or major celebrities coming forward following the ‘#metoo’ hashtag, about their experiences with abuse, there is hope that this won’t die like a passing fad.
Buying or wearing a slogan tee doth not a feminist make. I know enough people who bought and wore the tee and still dare to judge other women mainly because they made different choices. Being a feminist is not judging someone by your own standards, it requires you to keep all judgment aside. Be it a feminist tee shirt or a hashtag, one thing is for sure, the long standing and what seemed to be stagnant conversation about feminism has taken a new turn, a fresh perspective and a hard hitting approach. In our own country, we have women coming together to make a difference no matter how small or big: The Aurat March, Girls at Dhabbas, Pink Rikshaw and the fall 2017 collection launch ‘Hear Me Roar, by Studio S.
The Feminist Fashion trend can become a indispensible if women keep it afloat and this applies to all women, whether you are a doctor, lawyer, stay-at- home mother. Feminism is not about equal rights anymore; its ambit has expanded, especially given the advances in technology. If WE want this trend to stay and not just become one more viral trend, that happened for a while but died, WE have to keep it afloat.
