From Vivienne Westwood’s activist catwalk to Grenfell protests, why this is one of the most politically-charged Fashion Months yet

Fashion designers are using the catwalk as their own political platform, writes Olivia Petter

We’re not even halfway through Fashion Month, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most political yet.

To the uninitiated, it might seem like an odd occasion to discuss the political issues of the moment. But while Molly Goddard's voluminous tutu gowns and Simone Rocha's sparkly bralets might not be a hot topic in the House of Commons, in today’s increasingly fraught political landscape, there are some conversations that are just too important to ignore, regardless of whether you work in fashion or finance.

And, where better to voice political concerns than during a financially-invested, celebrity-filled event that is widely publicised on the global stage?

In fact, trends are often swayed by the zeitgeist, so in the age of Brexit, #MeToo and ongoing environmental concerns, it should come as no surprise that designers are using their platforms to make both sartorial and sociopolitical statements. In some cases, the latter plays second fiddle to the former, but this is no bad thing.

How we choose to dress is so tied up with our identity, that it makes complete sense that our wardrobes are influenced by our ideologies.

And it doesn’t have to be as obvious as wearing an ‘I hate Brexit’ slogan T-shirt, because as we’ve seen on the catwalks so far, important social points about can be made in far more nuanced ways i.e. showing a collection that is entirely free from high heels or having a mix of body shapes on the runway.

As Fashion Month autumn/winter 2019 nears its halfway point, here are the best politically-charged moments so far:

LFW: Vivienne Westwood staged an on-catwalk protest

British designer Vivienne Westwood is renowned for seamlessly amalgamating fashion and activism, having used her platform over the years to protest a whole range of issues, from fracking to austerity.

But Westwood took things to the next frontier this season with a show that saw actor Rose McGowan give a speech about consumerism while the executive director of Greenpeace, John Sauven, gave an impassioned address about the environmental consequences of oil plants.

The model lineup was almost entirely made up of activists (Ben Westwood, George Jibson and Emma Breschi), whose renegade ideologies were aesthetically interpreted via brightly-coloured face paint and grotesque facial prosthetics. They spoke to one another on the catwalk too, pontificating about the threats posed by Brexit, capitalism and climate change.

The show concluded with Westwood herself skipping down the catwalk singing.

Read our full review of the show here.

LFW: Climate change activists 'swarmed' outside the Victoria Beckham show

London Fashion Week is one of the most-publicised events in the UK, which is why climate change activists called on organisers at the British Fashion Council (BFC) to use their platform as a force for good by declaring a "climate emergency".

Hundreds of activists gathered outside the Victoria Beckham show at the Tate Britain on Sunday for a protest organised by activism group Extinction Rebellion.

Speaking to The Independent, organiser Sara Arnold explained that their protest wasn't a direct attack on the fashion industry, but on the environmental threats such large-scale events like LFW pose on the whole.

“This is the start of Extinction Revolution’s disruption of cultural events that do not change direction urgently towards communicating climate change and mobilising alongside us towards greater non-violent direct action and civil disobedience,” she said.

Read more about the protest here.

LFW: Fashion models demanded justice for Grenfell victims

Justice4Grenfell activists, including models Adwoa Aboah and Clara Paget, took to the stage at the BFC's main fashion space, 180 Strand, to demand justice for the 72 victims who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

In addition to honouring victims, those involved wanted their protest to serve as a reminder of the fact more needs to be done to prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the future.

The group’s poignant message was clear, with each member wearing a T-shirt reading: “72 dead and still no arrests? How come?” in reference to a famous line in the Oscar-winning film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Read more about the protest here.

LFW: Body positivity activists held a protest right outside

It’s not unusual for Fashion Month to garner the attention of body positivity activists, given the physically homogenised model lineup that prevails each season.

This year, plus-size clothing brand Simply Be organised a protest outside 180 Strand to call on designers to be more inclusive with their casting.

The demonstration was led by model Hayley Hasselhoff – yes, daughter of actor David – and women held up placards reading empowering phrases such as “Fashion should empower us”, and “Our beauty is immeasurable”.

NYFW: Tom Ford made a subtle but powerful anti-Trump statement

The New York-based designer's show is always one of the first of the season, and this year, it took place the day after Donald Trump's State of the Union speech, in which the president insisted he would build a southern border wall.

It was no coincidence, then, that Ford’s models walked down the runway to the sounds of “Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House, for which lyrics include: “There’s a battle ahead, many battles are lost/But you’ll never see the end of the road/While you’re traveling with me/Hey now, hey now/Don’t dream it’s over/Hey now, hey now/When the world comes in/They come, they come/To build a wall between us/We know they won’t win."

Ford later confirmed the connection in an interview with Vogue.