The Best Feminist Moments At New York Fashion Week

Politics and Fashion have been seen getting mixed up a lot recently and if not politics just making a bold statement about a rising issue around us. We think it’s a great visual way to spread a message to the world, and a very creative way too. Women’s empowerment was an emotional topic during New York Fashion Week this year, even the model of the moment Bella Hadid was seen getting emotional on the runway. Prabal Gurung has been in the lime light since his show on Sunday where he sent models down the runway in t-shirts printed with political messages. Bella Hadid was seen leading the show in a “The Future is Female” t-shirt.

“This whole show was about women’s empowerment, self-love, and powerful, strong women,” Hadid told MarieClaire.com in an interview. “Prabal doesn’t tell us how to walk. He says, ‘Be yourself. Be the way you want to be. Be happy. Be strong.’ Every single girl here is so strong and beautiful in her own way. I was crying during the finale. Right now, the way the world is, it’s a beautiful message to pass along.”

New York Fashion Week was also seen opening up to the plus-size market, where we saw Ashley Graham walk the runway at Michael Kors and Candice Huffine modelled two looks at the Prabal Gurung show. Plus-size models have definitely been seen at New York Fashion Week before but they have usually been there for a publicity stunt but this time it was for a genuine reason that clothes were being designed specifically for the plus-size market.

A huge portion of the fashion community have really been supporting various different movements through social media and with what they wear. Maria Grazia Chiuri made her debut for Dior a few months back and it included a t-shirt that had “We should all be feminists” written on it, and this t-shirt went completely viral on the streets. The CFDA also introduced the pink pins to raise awareness for Planned Parenthood during New York Fashion Week, the “Fashion Stands With Planned Parenthood” pins have been seen across several people during this season. There have been some very fashionable political statements that have been made at New York Fashion Week, below are some of the ways designers, models and celebs used fashion week as a stage to portray a feminist message.

The Best Feminist Moments At New York Fashion Week

Prabal Gurung

The designer was inspired by the women’s march that took place in New York City for his show where he ended his show with Bella Hadid and his other models in t-shirts with political slogans such as “Stay Woke,” “Nevertheless, She Persisted,” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights.” He closed the show taking his bow wearing a t-shirt that said “This is What a Feminist Looks Like.”

Mara Hoffman

Hoffman worked together with the cochairs of the Women’s March, who introduced the collection by reading some powerful statements such as “We come together in the spirit of democracy, unity, love, and strength with the message that women’s rights are human rights.”

Jonathan Simkhai

Like Prabal Gurung even Jonathan Simkhai closed his show by wearing a t-shirt that read “Feminist AF”. He even announced that for every seat taken during his show, he would donate $5 to Planned Parenthood along with the proceeds from the t-shirts.

Rebecca Minkoff

Closing the show in a powerful way really seemed to be the trend this season, Rebecca Minkoff closed the show with a live performance by MILCK, she sang her famous song “Quiet” which is also the unofficial anthem of the Women’s March, and a new anthem for empowerment.