The Covid-19 pandemic caused an immense shift in the nature of activism in 2020. Typical activism involving mass gatherings stopped, and activists devised other methods of influencing social change. For activists focusing on race, gender equality, poverty and climate change, one industry, in particular, is both a medium for change, and a target for reform – the fashion industry.
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted global social inequalities, with people from BAME backgrounds and those living in poverty suffering disproportionally. 2020 was characterised not just by coronavirus, but also by Black Lives Matter protests, and increasing climate change worries. In an increasingly unstable year, activism was more important than ever in addressing these issues.
Fashion is public-facing and readily observable, making it an ideal alternative platform for activists to make a statement. However, fashion’s popular, high-profile nature also means that the industry’s flaws are easily visible, leading activists to demand change. Taking a look back over 2020, we can observe how the fashion industry has supported activist movements, but has also received intense criticism.
February 2020: Coronavirus, still a novelty, did not occupy the forefront of every mind, and consequently, activism focused on critical issues, including climate change and feminism. Dior’s Fashion Month show took place on a runway decorated with large neon lettering, spelling phrases including ‘PATRIARCHY = REPRESSION’, ‘WHEN WOMEN STRIKE THE WORLD STOPS’, and ‘WOMEN’S LOVE IS UNPAID LABOUR’. The show intended to recognise the social and economic importance of unpaid female labour within the home, including domestic tasks and childcare. Although undervalued within a repressive patriarchal society, a 2020 Oxfam report found that globally, women perform 12.5 billion hours of daily unpaid work, with an economic value of £8.28 trillion. However, there is debate over whether this is genuine activism within the industry, or simply hijacks grassroots activism solely to generate financial profit. ‘Performative activism’ within the industry is frequent, including numerous Pride collections from brands such as Topshop which ostensibly support the LGBTQ+ community, but have problematic records surrounding their treatment of this community.
Summer 2020: Whilst high street shops struggled during the pandemic; online retailers, including affordable fashion brand Boohoo, enjoyed increased sales. Boohoo’s customers were unaware of the brand’s horrific use of sweatshop labour in Leicester factories, discovered this summer. Boohoo was significantly criticised for its use of ‘modern slavery’ due to its employees’ appalling working conditions and low pay. Activists regularly condemn the fashion industry’s exploitative structure, centred around the use of sweatshop labour, predominantly in low-income developing countries such as Bangladesh. Similar conditions at other fashion brands were also exposed this summer, for example, ASOS’ UK distribution centres denied staff adequate social distancing measures and PPE, creating Covid-19 outbreaks. Unfortunately, sweatshops are even more widespread in developing countries, where over 80% of garment factory workers are female and commonly experience gender-based violence, making this an issue commonly taken up by feminist activists.
August-September 2020: Japanese professional tennis player, Naomi Osaka, won the women’s singles title at the US Open tennis tournament, whilst making a significant political statement through her choice of accessories. Required to wear face masks due to coronavirus, Osaka wore seven black masks, each printed with the names of prominent police brutality victims, killed because of their race. The 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests demonstrated against recent racially motivated police killings, and wider issues of persistent structural racism. Osaka’s use of fashion to demonstrate against racial inequality was part of a broader social movement throughout 2020, which included a widespread effort to consciously shop at black-owned businesses. Across the internet and social media, this grassroots campaign aimed to support black members of the fashion industry, who disproportionately face discrimination, lower pay, and underrepresentation within the industry. Activists hoped to change the industry, and use it for the cause of good.
September 2020: Dior’s fashion shows returned to the spotlight after its September runway was gate-crashed by a protestor from environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion, holding a sign reading ‘WE ARE ALL FASHION VICTIMS’. The group protests against the fashion industry’s large carbon footprint and waste surplus, which contribute significantly to climate change, implying we are all victims of the fashion industry’s degradation of our planet.
November 2020: Many shoppers excitedly awaited November’s predominantly online Black Friday shopping sales. Activists have accused online shopping of increasing unsustainable mass consumption, with many stores selling cheap clothes which arrive quickly, but are poor quality and quickly enter landfills. Online fashion giant Pretty Little Thing, attracted heavy criticism for selling dresses for as little as 8 pence during Black Friday, promoting high levels of unsustainable consumption. A recent IPCC report estimated that the fashion industry annually contributes 10% of global CO2 emissions. ‘Fast-fashion’ brands such as PLT are particularly responsible for this scenario, their unsustainable production models generate significant environmental damage and worry climate activists.
Throughout 2020, the fashion industry experienced cycles of condemnation from activists, followed by grateful use from these same groups enabled by fashion to spread their messages to an increasingly vulnerable and divided world. 2020 has highlighted the industry’s deficits, in urgent need of reform. Activists’ use of fashion is commendable, but the fashion industry’s exploitation and resisting of activism are not. With the fashion industry possessing significant potential as a conduit for activism and social reform, hopefully enabling activists to influence change, will this be the new trend for 2021?
Written by: Emily Sissons
Photo by: Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Disclaimer: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR ONLY AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OR OPINIONS OF COMPASS MAGAZINE AS A WHOLE OR THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY.