Fashion has always had its share of politics. Friday morning, To kick off New York Fashion Week, she also got politicized by organizing a get-out-the-vote rally: the Fashion for our Future March. The event was organized by the CFDA and Vogue in a nonpartisan way to boost voter turnout and featured current First Lady and Democrat Dr. Jill Biden as a keynote speaker.
The former schoolteacher has long been friendly with the industry, which is widely regarded as a Democratic voting bloc, in part because of its New York hub and the values held dear by the inclusive, creative community.
After an impassioned speech by Aurora James, Chairman of the CFDA and co-founder of The Fifteen Percent Pledge, And with an introduction by designer Thom Browne, the First Lady began her speech with a story about being a young college student in the late 1970s who “almost didn't vote for this young senator” and just a few minutes later when the then waist-length blonde went on her first date with the President.
“I took one look at his perfect suit and his leather loafers and thought, ‘Thank God, it’s just a date,’” she recalled, admitting that by the end of the dinner she was glad she ended up voting for him. She also revealed that her parents were Republicans and that Biden only won by 3,000 votes.
“Clothes give us the power to make a statement without saying a word, but this year, we must first wear it, say it, march for it and then do it – vote!” she encouraged.
He reminded the crowd about the impact of the election.
“They are the freedom for our children to learn without fear, without hate, without gun violence. This week, we witnessed another shooting. We stand with Georgia in our grief and in our prayers, but we cannot accept these school shootings as an everyday occurrence; we must ban assault rifles,” he urged.
“I know you care about the freedom to make your own choices, to be who you are, to love who you love, and the freedom you have for creative expression. These freedoms are at risk because of court decisions, book bans, and shrugs of apathy when people forget the power of the vote. Let’s remember this: the next president will appoint the new Supreme Court justices, the next senators will confirm them, and our children will live with those consequences, but you are the ones who decide; elections matter,” she continued.
She reminded the crowd, which consisted of Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Todd Snyder, Wes Anderson, Peter Som Bach Mai and actress Joey King, among others, how the industry came together during the AIDS crisis and to help fight breast cancer and praised Browne not only as a “fellow Pennsylvanian” who is also making civic engagement chic; James for his indomitable spirit in seeing a new future and told Anna Wintour, “No one has shaped this industry more than you, but you haven’t stopped and now you are shaping the world. The President and I value your counsel and friendship, and with all my heart, I thank you for being such a powerful force for good,” she said, while urging the crowd to vote and help others do so. “We can vote to bring about a future where freedom truly resonates,” she concluded.
Starting at a landmark New York store, Macy's, the crowd of more than 1,000 people, which also included garment workers, media, retailers, students and others, wore T-shirts donated by Old Navy, carried American flags and held signs and fans with the Fashion For Our Future logo as they marched north on Broadway led by Prabal Gurung with a megaphone urging chants of “get out the vote.”
The protesters then headed east toward another iconic location, Bryant Park, the site of the original March 7 rally.He On the 6th, tents were set up where Secret Service and TSA agents scanned attendees through metal detectors to hear the First Lady speak.
James began the ceremony by alluding to the industry dreamers who came here to pursue fashion.
“The idea of a free and prosperous land depends exactly on what each of us makes of it, whether we are a designer, a bus driver, a lawyer or a shoe designer, and each of us contributes to collective liberation. We have seen it threatened before and we cannot allow it to happen again. We, the dreamers, remain the underdogs in this election; we will not win unless this passion that brought us here, to New York, spreads and inspires others to vote,” he warned.
She urged everyone to reach out to at least ten people to encourage a voting plan, citing Michelle Obama's statement to “actually do something.”
As Browne urged everyone to chant “Vote, vote, vote,” she said, “Fashion is not what we wear, but a powerful voice and platform for what we stand for; having unity, supporting democracy and peace are vital,” she urged, adding that the CFDA has supported the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the Iamavoter initiative, among other groups.
Following the speech, CFDA Chairman Steven Kolb highlighted several issues regarding the upcoming November vote that are important to the industry.
“It’s different for smaller designers than for larger ones, but between them there’s trade policy, tariffs, the economy, it’s a challenge to keep America out of a recession, manufacturing, understanding, support, sustainability, production, labor, immigration, and worker safety and protection. They need to know that when they hire for factories and shop workers, they can guarantee a fair wage so they have security and housing for employees. They need to be able to live in New York,” she said.
After the First Lady spoke, the event ended and the CFDA executive teams headed north to Rockefeller Center to unveil a live streaming screen of New York Fashion Week in the famous plaza.
Wintour, Kolb, Browne and E.B. Kelly, managing director of Tishman Speyer and head of Rockefeller Center, cut the ribbon along with Michael Kors and Tory Burch.
Speaking to FashionNetwrok.com, Kelly shared the impetus behind the new addition to both.
“NYFW is a celebration of the best things about New York – creativity, beauty, culture, art and design – and nowhere is that more reflected than at Rockefeller Center; it is the beating heart of New York City,” she enthused, noting that New Yorkers will revel in the chance to sit “front row” to watch the shows in front of the famous Prometheus statue and the legendary 30 Rock.
Various Rockefeller Center spaces, such as the iconic Rainbow Room, have been used by designers Prabal Gurung and LaQuan Smith, among others, while Collina Strada recently presented its collection at Hero, on a lower level of the Art Deco mini-metropolis located in Midtown. Asked whether Rock Center would be a candidate for a centralized fashion week, Kelly admitted that she couldn’t predict the future, but acknowledged that the ingredients were there.
“We’re across the street from Todd Snyder’s amazing, beautiful shop, which he did an amazing job on. On Sunday, he’s having his show at Le Rock and he’s setting it up here at Studio Gather. There’s no place where you can have and do all those things at the same time and in the same place,” Kelly said.
While that may be true, Hudson Yards is another location that houses designer stores, theaters, auditoriums, conference rooms, and other types of office meeting room spaces.
Browne has walked there regularly, as have Dion Lee and Who Decides War. Coach, Simkhai and Aknvas are among the designers showing there this season.
According to some industry sources, the nearly ill-fated luxury shopping, dining and cultural hub on Manhattan's West Side is attempting to become the next Bryant Park or Lincoln Center.
This adds to the debate over show centralization that has plagued the American fashion industry lately due to the complicated logistics of holding shows in far-flung boroughs. So far this season, with strong momentum, it seems that most designers are choosing to stay in Manhattan and the new bus service sponsored by Google Play is making transportation easier for industry professionals without expense accounts.
Copyright © 2024 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
