Practical, subtle, versatile…
That said, you don’t necessarily have to play the uniform or the (bad) costume card to communicate your opinions. While the industry’s iconic fashion houses are still selling us T-shirts with messages promoting feminism or climate protection for a few hundred euros (watch where my eyes rest…), the young guard of designers seems to have found more honest and subtle ways to convey their message. This is the case of Ester Manas who has managed, in just a few seasons, to find a place for herself in the fight for body-positivism and against fatphobia. The trendy young Franco-Belgian label has certainly revolutionised the rules of casting by having only curvy models on the catwalk, like queer feminist dancer, anti-racist and body-positive activist Mariana Benenge. But the real commitment lies in the way these clothes are made, as the label offers a one-size-fits-all design ranging from XXS to XXL. And thanks to an ingenious system of gathers, lacing, buttonholes and stretch fabrics, these versatile pieces can be worn by anyone in any weight range. Not to mention the fact that the fashion aspect is by no means neglected, with the added bonus of ultra-desirable cuts, materials and colours. Combining style with purpose, and quality with the search for meaning, seem to be the essential and complementary notions of a truly committed fashion. This is certainly what Djurdja Bartlett, Senior Reader in Histories and Cultures of Fashion at the London College of Fashion, underlines in the preface to her book Fashion and Politics (Yale University Press, 2019). « As an embodied everyday practice, fashion is endowed with the capacity to bring pleasure, incite and convey affect. Thus, at a time when politics is increasingly distrusted and divides people along class, race, sex, and gender lines, fashion might indeed provide a means of challenging such divisiveness. » The latter could even, she suggests, create « a bridge between politics and economics, providing a platform for today’s most pressing social and cultural conversations ». Boom! Perhaps the best recent incarnation of this sociological punchline remains the work done by designer and anti-racist activist Kerby Jean-Raymond, founder of the label Pyer Moss. In July 2021, he was the first African-American designer to present a collection in the official Paris Couture Week calendar. An opportunity for this defender and supporter of the Black community to reaffirm his commitment through a collection of whimsical and spectacular dresses paying tribute to the little-known creations of Black inventors forgotten by history (air conditioning, mobile phones, lampshades, typewriters, etc.). Special mention should be made of the mise en abîme of the « fridge » outfit on which one could read a message written in magnetic letters: « But who invented Black trauma?” You have four hours.