The Politics of Fashion

Last semester, I was given the assignment to create a cocktail dress that was inspired by the upcoming election. This assignment came about because Belmont University, my college, is set to host the 2020 presidential debates (a very exciting feat for my university).

As someone who doesn’t find politics too inspiring, I was a little lost on where to begin designing a cocktail dress that represented such an abstract concept. As I dug a little deeper, I decided to design with hope for a more united future, and I wanted to represent that. I created a dress with an asymmetrical hem, representing the diversity in America. I used color-blocking throughout the piece to show that even though we are all fundamentally different and have different life experiences, we all work together to create a cohesive country. I created just one sleeve to further show that we are united in our differences, and those differences can be beautiful and are to be celebrated.

I think that fashion can be an important tool to convey political messages both overtly and covertly (the political message is definitely more covertly conveyed via Christian Siriano’s Spring 2021 Resort Collection). Siriano used his most recent collection to encourage US citizens to use their voice and go vote in the upcoming election. Going forward, I ask myself; how can I use fashion to spread awareness? How can I use fashion as a form of activism? How can I help represent those who are underrepresented in society?

The Reality of Going to Fashion Design School