I looked at different contemporary designers that used a specific collection as a form of activism and protest, such as Daniel W Fletcher, whose collection focused on the Brexit election and voting, creating garments and accessories with STAY labels and using the brand’s promotional imagery and ad campaigns as a protest or political campaign.

Another designer is Kerby Jean Raymond (for Pyer Moss) who, known for his activism, brought Black Lives Matter back to the runway in New York Fashion Week 2016.

Then I researched on the slogan tshirt. Katharine Hamnett’s brand launched in the 80s, her thsirts with slogans like Choose Life were very famous because of their political stance and anti-establishment attiude, against the government’s decision making, especially relating to war and economic issues. Her brand essence and ethos continued to become stronger and she showed concern and discontent towards many issues that the society was facing through her collections and messages. she adopted an ethical philosophy which put her in the vanguard of sustainable fashion (Interview fashion spot.com)

Activism through fashion was also seen in the catwalk during New York Fashion Week in 2017, where designers like Prabal Gurung (‘Girls just want to have fundamental rights’) and Dior (‘We Should all be feminists’) made political statements relating to gender equality, human rights and feminism. For a designer like Prabal Gurung, who regularly dedicates his work to the strength and grace of women, an even more overt examination of female power was at the core of his finale. (Viva)

Jeremy Scott’s collection had statements like ‘Our voice is the only thing that will always protect us’. As he said ‘We have to fight for everything we believe in. That’s the expression I wanted to use’. Lutz Huelle also showed social consciousness when he appeared in the catwalk of his FW16-17 collection with a World Peace Now slogan tshirt.