*photos do not belong to me*
fashion tackling feminism?
Interesting that as a fashion/beauty blogger who just made a post about feminism a couple of days back (link here), this feminist inspired chanel S/S 15 show happened. Whilst scrolling through twitter, I came across some photos of the latest Chanel show in Paris. Headed by Karl Lagerfeld, the models took to the catwalk with plaque cards 'protesting' for women's rights with an assortment of (ironic) phrases from 'feminism is the new black' and 'be your own stylist'At first view of these photos, I thought this was quite a smart idea, because any publicity of something you believe in is good publicity, right? I'm not so sure.
*Don't get me wrong, I still love fashion, although I recognise many aspects of the industry are incredibly problematic. I love the aspects of personal style and self expression that can be reflected. As much as I love the clothes and weirdness of high fashion shows, I don't enjoy the overall representation of people who wear them.*
As I observed these photos more, I noticed the lack of diversity in ethnicity, sizes, heights etc. realistically, the high fashion industry does not promote equality. We are still trying to tackle the problem of 'Size Zero Only' modelling. We are still tackling the problem of photoshopping and distorting women and male celebrities which unrealistic body images. We are still tackling the problem of having predominantly white women being the faces of fashion. We know it's a problem when Vogue asked Oprah to lose weight if she ever wants to be featured on the front cover of their magazine. Why promote one form of equality when you're going to ignore the others?
The ironic plaques, as mentioned above, are also another cause of confusion. 'Be your own stylist' is a bit questionable to be stating during a fashion show which basically dictates what's on trend and what's out for every season. How can we be our own stylists when we're constantly surrounded by the unrealistically photoshopped models that chanel often endorse?
In my honest, cynical opinion, I honestly think it's nothing more than a simple marketing ploy. Realistically, it's becoming a trend to identify as a feminist. From beyonce's song 'flawless', 'all about that bass' hitting the number one charts and Emma Watson's speech (which in my opinion, is a MUCH better and effectivd way of promoting feminism via use of celebrities and media), it's undeniable that it's a popular topic, and an important one.
I just don't think Chanel are the right people to do it. If Karl Lagerfeld really cared about women's rights, would he have criticised Heidi Klum's modelling for GQ magazine by saying 'she is simply too heavy and has too big a bust'? Or called Adele 'a little too fat'?
And this is not the first social issue to take to the catwalk. During LFW and the height of the Scottish independence referendum, Vivienne Westwood's models walked the runway with 'yes' badges attached to their clothing. Fashion is good for many things, from creation to expressionism. Trying to tackle political issues suggests lack of understanding and can be quite patronising.
Stick to the clothes Lagerfeld, and dump the stereotyped placards, please.
