International Women's Day: Times Fashion Made A Feminist Statement

7 Times Fashion Made A Feminist Statement

Since the inauguration of Donald Trump, designers have been turning to the runway more than ever to express their political views with statement tees and 'pussy bow' hats taking over.

Though we'll admit, a feminist tee certainly is trending, fashion has long been a part of the women's rights movement - trend or no.

Below, 10 times fashion made a feminist statement.

The Runway

For Autumn/Winter 2017, Prabal Gurung sent a slew of political tees down the runway, ranging from 'The future is female' to 'Our bodies, our minds, our power.'

That Slogan Tee

The tee that started the trend: for her first collection with Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri debuted the below slogan tee and before long everyone was wearing it.

The Pussy Hat

Following on from the huge amount of 'pussy bow' pink hats seen at the Women's March 2017, Missoni sent models down the runway wearing them. Designer Angela Missoni then gave a powerful speech: “In a time of uncertainty, there is a bond between us that can keep us strong and safe: the bond that unites those that respect the human rights of all. Let’s show the world that the fashion community is united and fearless.”

The Activists

Instead of slogan tees, Mara Hoffman asked the four national chairs of the Women’s March on Washington - Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour - to open their show with a speech on diversity and acceptance.

The Colours

While suffragettes would pour into the streets for organised marches and protests, they also identified themselves as feminists outside of rallies with the help of three colours: Green, white, and purple. The colour scheme, devised in 1908, is a prime example of a triumph for feminist fashion.

The Suits

Coco Chanel is famed for creating the first two-piece suit women actually wanted to wear. "Chanel always dressed like the strong independent male she had dreamed of being. But Chanel was no middle-class feminist in a man-tailored suit. When Chanel 'took the English masculine and made it feminine,' she did so in the spirit of a female dandy," Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at the FIT, wrote in her essay, Chanel In Context.

The Initiatives

For International Women's Day 2018, five prominent designers - Ganni, Off-White, Rosie Assoulin, Chloé, Stella McCartney and Bella Freud - teamed up with Net-A-Porter to make a collection of t-shirts with all proceeds going to the charity Women for Women International. Naturally, with celebrity endorsements from Nicole Kidman and Dakota Fanning, the tees didn't stay on the shelves for long.

Proud to wear this @chloe for @netaporter T-shirt to support women around the world! Get it at the link in my bio. All profits go to @womenforwomen for #internationalwomensday. #incrediblewomen

Isabelle Truman

Isabelle is marie claire and InStyle's Senior Digital Fashion & Features Editor. She is usually either searching for the food at events or looking up the latest update in the 'Sex and the City' feud. Her words can be found on marie claire, InStyle, Harper's BAZAAR, ELLE and Cosmopolitan.