What went wrong with the fashion industry?

Paris Fashion Week ended with a scandal after Kanye West debuted his Yeezy Season 9 collection wearing a shirt with “White Lives Matter”, a white supremacist slogan, written on the back. Alongside him was a conservative commentator Candace Owens, known for standing up against the Black Lives Matter movement and advocacy organizations, such as NAACP or GLAAD. Had it not been enough, Kanye commented on the controversy with anti-semitic comments. The situation caused an outcry and may cost Kanye his career. Although the fashion world widely condemns these actions, everyone rubs their eyes in disbelief, witnessing someone like Kanye become the undisputed star of the industry, always present at the most prestigious events. And yet, Ye appears to be only the tip of the iceberg with all the discrimination looming in fashion.

Designer’s privilege

Watching Kanyegate unravel felt like a flashback. Back in 2011, just moments before Paris Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011/2012, John Galliano, creative director at Dior, was questioned by the police regarding an incident at the bar La Perle when allegedly he made antisemitic remarks towards other patrons. In the beginning, Galliano denied the accusation, but a few days later, a video of the designer praising Hitler and taunting other patrons with antisemitic comments emerged on the web. Dior immediately suspended and subsequently fired Galliano. The designer tried to defend himself by blaming addictions and asserting he was too drunk to remember anything. However, this was not his first anti-Semitic outburst, and the designer’s speech in the video was too targeted and coherent to make his justification credible. 

And yet, the show-business industry expressed mixed feelings. Some celebrities, for example, Natalie Portman, refused to work with Galliano again, but others like Kate Moss or Eva Green defended him or brushed off the situation as a mistake. The feeling of reluctance to give up working with the designer was palpable. Galliano lost the court trial, but it wasn’t the end of his career. After a four-year exile, he returned as a creative director for Maison Martin Margiela and restored his previous position.

While it seems apparent in the fashion industry to condemn racism or antisemitism, other forms of discrimination get a free pass as long as one has enough talent. Karl Lagerfeld, hailed as a fashion icon, was the best example of that phenomenon. The creative director of both Chanel and Fendi was known for being outspoken. Lagerfeld never held back from speaking his mind, no matter how harmful the opinions could be. Especially his brash comments on women’s weight always drew attention. The German designer called overweight women “fat mummies” and blamed them for criticizing skinny models. He also added that “no one wants to see round women”. Lagerfeld said that Adele was “a little too fat” or that he didn’t like Pippa Middleton’s face, advising her to “only show her back”. He also defended his use of fur for decades on the grounds that banning it would leave many people unemployed and rebuked the #MeToo movement. Several hundred people lodged complaints after the designer shared his opinion regarding the migrant crisis on the Salut les Terriens talk show. While everyone understands people can have different views on the topic, describing it as replacing Jews killed in the Holocaust with “their worst enemies” was beyond inappropriate. As if this were not enough, Lagerfeld also recalled his German friend who, after welcoming a young Syrian to his home, praised the Holocaust as the best German invention.

One has to admit that the same brash attitude gained Karl Lagerfeld not only criticism but also admiration. Many were amazed by the designer’s ability to speak his mind without consideration of what others might think about it. And while it is, indeed, an admirable trait, in the case of Lagerfeld, it exposed his egocentrism and arrogance. This peculiar behavior of such a particular individual could be considered part of his creative persona, a fashion accessory even, but at the same time, other famous people saying the same things get bashed if not canceled. Karl Lagerfeld’s misconducts were quickly forgotten, at least in the fashion industry. When he passed away in February 2019, he was celebrated as a hero and paid tributes by everyone, even those who despised the attitude he so openly expressed. Watching all the post-humous accolades, one has to admit that, without a doubt, he benefited from a unique privilege of special treatment apparently available only to gifted designers.

Fashionwashing

The world is changing, and the fashion industry has to keep up with it since it’s no longer as detached as it used to be. Climate change made us reflect on the damage caused by the fashion industry to the environment as well as its negative impact on society. Even though that doesn’t mean that luxury goods will cease to exist, the thoughtless glamor of Sex and the City doesn’t sell so well anymore. Fashion houses, in order to attract customers, must now prove that they care not only about making money. Even Karl Lagerfeld had to finally give in and withdraw the use of real furs in his collections, and Victoria’s Secret had swapped its angels for inspiring women. Creative directors are well aware of this and try hard to show that the world of high fashion is not indifferent to environmental problems and social sensitivity. Even though these efforts are praiseworthy, many in the industry still lack the understanding that it’s not only about superficial refurbishing but real change.

There is no better occasion to make a fashion statement than Paris Fashion Week, and no wonder why Dior wanted to seize the chance to show how progressive it has become. It is no secret that Maria Grazia Chiuri takes her inspiration mainly from feminism which is the essence of her own life, as behooves the first woman in the artistic director position since the creation of the brand in 1946. Nevertheless, looking back at some of Dior’s last fashion shows at Paris Fashion Week, something has gotten out of control. The spring-summer 2020 was a nod to climate change anxiety. The visibly rustic and floral collection made an impression of being inspired by the countryside. Trees that surrounded the dirt-resembling runway were tagged #PlantingForTheFuture and later planted in the Parisian region. The intention couldn’t have been more clear. When I was writing a review of that collection, I was amazed by the powerful message it carried. In the fashion industry, it was a pioneer voice. But as time passed by, I started to realize that it ended up with good intentions. Almost two years after the show, Good On You rated Dior not good enough, and it remains as such in 2022. In the article referring to the show from 2020, Solene Rauturier wrote that “the brand has made small improvements”, leaving no doubt that the concept was likely a publicity stunt to attract more buyers.

After the fiasco of greenwashing, Chiuri decided to combine feminism and fashion by going beyond historical or artistic inspirations to make a statement. Given her personal history, nobody would oppose her understandable drive to amplify feminist discourse, but the fall-winter 2020 show was surprisingly worse than the failed attempt at environmental awareness. Traditional models of almost the same size walked the catwalk under feminist slogans such as “when women strike the world stops”, “women raise the uprising”, “we are all clitoridian women”, “consent” and others. The fashion industry has long been known to build its power on the harm of women by creating unhealthy standards of beauty, as well as treating them like objects. Many models have also spoken out about sexual harassment and assault in the environment. Such strong feminist slogans suggest that women who represent them with their achievements or at least are diverse would be invited to the show. However, selecting only skinny models gives a clear message that women who are not of a certain size would not stroll down the catwalk. The fall-winter 2020 show was nothing more than a display of striking ignorance and, in fact, an insult to women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Malala, who have contributed to the fight for women’s rights. 

Fashion magazines raved about both collections and shows. Vogue described the fall-winter 2020 show as “resonating more powerfully than some of the others”. Using environmental crisis or feminism as props to boost sales would meet with a severe backlash anywhere else, but Dior continues to sparkle at Paris Fashion Week. It seems that fashion is a perfect career path for people who often find themselves in hot water, for the industry is very forgiving. It also provides a safe space to hide until the public opinion is ready for the return in exchange for some haute couture. That being said, if Ye lays low for some time and has a new collection up his sleeve to charm everyone upon his comeback, just like Galliano did after the antisemitic scandal, everything should be fine. Of course, after such a controversy, he will need a little bit more contrition than Lagerfeld or Dior, but a second chance is more than likely.

The odds are quite fortunate for Kanye West, but not for those who want to enjoy high fashion without compromising their values. The beauty of the tailoring craft is not dangerous in itself, but the luxury industry does not necessarily stem from noble values, thriving off consumption and inequalities. It would be silly to expect it will change overnight, but it is not impossible. As consumers, we have the ability to pressure the industry to improve. Kanyegate could be the turning point in how we perceive the fashion industry and its hypocrisy. The extent to which public opinion reacted to Ye’s comments gives hope the era of special treatment for fashion designers is coming to an end. Of course, as long as we don’t turn a blind eye again.