The Biggest Fashion Trend for 2020 May Be Protest

Mental health protest took center stage in Milan recently when a Gucci designer offended masses of fashion fans, including one of his models. In a bold move made for Instagram, a Gucci model walked the runway in protest with the words Mental Health is Not Fashion penned in black on their palms. Arms out, palms forward, the image was posted and liked by hundreds of thousands of people.  The model wrote, "As an artist and a model who has experienced her own struggles with mental health, as well as family members and loved ones who have been affected by depression, anxiety, bipolar and schizophrenia, it is hurtful and insensitive for a major fashion house such as Gucci to use this imagery as a concept for a fleeting fashion moment." The designer defended the pieces he called ‘blank style" and told reporters that his utilitarian designs were meant to send different message. Still, many critics said the piece shown looked like a straight-jacket and deemed the work highly offensive.

Controversy Has Its Moment

While this example may seem like something far from mainstream, it's not. Major brands have been deeply apologetic and responsive to the public when they hit a nerve. This is the second time mental health made headlines on the runway. After a model wrote on Instagram that ‘suicide is not fashion', referring to a Burberry hoodie that featured a noose around the neck, Burberry pulled the item from stores and the company's chief executive officer issued an apology in a statement to CNN.  The Burberry model, Liz Kennedy, said she had tried to speak out about the design she found offensive before the show, but was ignored. She later posted on Instagram: "It is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway."

Other earlier examples related to mental health come to mind, too. Protests over underweight models plagued the industry for decades and still do. Victoria's Secret apologized publicly after an executive made controversial statements about transgender and plus-size models being unlikely picks for their annual Fashion Show. The remark was made during a chat with Vogue. The executive, Ed Razek, said that constant suggestions and questions about why they didn't use this or that model took away from an event that was designed to be a 42-minute branded television fantasy. Harsh critical comments on social media got the spotlight. But any attempt to backtrack was for naught. Victoria's Secret, favorite of American men and women, is seeing shrinking profits.

                                                               gallakjoler