The cultural landscape - and the meaning of fashion within this zeitgeist - is changing rapidly. Fashion was once an isolated medium, often considered frivolous for its celebration of glamour - devoid of substance. But now more than ever, this visual medium is proving it can be an important factor in communicating powerful values and ideals, not only for us designers, who do use fashion as a vehicle to tell our stories, but also for all people around the world, including the incredible and inspiring actresses who are leading the movement. Fashion is becoming a universal language to show who you are and what you stand for.
Our brand, and I personally as a designer, have always stood against misogyny, discrimination, and a narrow view of beauty. We believe in equality, fair and varied representation, acceptance, and compassion. We celebrate feminism and femininity, and we celebrate all people regardless of their race, religion, gender, gender identification or sexuality. We have been staunch supporters of these ideals from the moment we started our brand, through the many causes we support, through our social channels, and through Shikshya Foundation Nepal - the nonprofit that I helped establish to provide education opportunities to underprivileged children in Nepal with a larger goal of cultivating thinkers and leaders and to create opportunities for advancement in society.
The 2018 Golden Globe Awards has significant potential to alter the course of this historic movement. It is a moment where these admirable, strong and brave actresses have decided to use fashion as a means of protest. We - the fashion industry - should be proud to help amplify and visually communicate such a powerful agenda. When future generations look back on this watershed moment, I hope they will realize that fashion served a crucial role in conveying this powerful message - and that fashion is no longer just about beauty and glamour.
I personally don’t view this upcoming red carpet as a missed fashion opportunity. In fact, it is quite the opposite - I am excited to see these strong women exercise their power of choice to wear all black together while talking about their beliefs, values and principles. As designers, we’re in the service industry - providing women with options that represent them as human beings. My team and I are beyond proud to be a part of this beautiful moment.
This is not a silent protest. This is a resounding crescendo of resistance, resilience and unity.
To learn more about the Time's Up movement and to donate now, go to: https://www.timesupnow.com/