As New York Fashion Week, NYFW, is wrapping up many designers took to the runway to send out messages for things they believe in. Many designers advocated "Black Lives Matter" and showed their support for Hillary Clinton and exhibited their dislike for Donald Trump. Whatever it was, they used the platform that they know and voiced the opinion of themselves and those that support them.
I am all for this, I think that using whatever platform to convey what you believe in is the best thing that you can do. You should never be afraid to use your voice for anything and should always have an outlet or a platform that you can use. Whether it's a social media account, an artistic talent, writing on a blog (or something like the Odyssey *wink, wink*) or creating a fashion line, no matter what it is you should always have something to express yourself.
Pyer Moss, however, is one of the biggest politically fueled fashion brands out there. The designer, Kerby Jean-Raymond a 28-year-old from New York City, has the power and the voice to raise awareness for what he believes in and that's exactly what he does. During his Spring 2017 showing this week, Pryer Moss exhibited tops featured phrases like "Come Shake The Money Tree," prints of photos taken at the time of Bernie Madoff’s arrest, and even the docket from Jean-Raymond’s own court appearance during his legal battle with former investors over trademarks.
However, just because Moss exhibited these works of art, doesn't mean they just walked t-shirts down the runway. The brand is known for the modern tailoring, masculine forms and high-quality clothing and they did not lack on that in this collection. Rather, Moss brought out more defined tailoring than in previous collections and traditional pinstripes and new leather was combined to make their own statement.
I think that this was the best thing that any fashion designer could have done. They used the platform that they know best, put their own business out there, and took a shot in the dark as if to this would be loved or hated to prove a point. They didn't care about the repercussions (some buyers and sponsors dropped Pyer Moss) to stand for what they truly believe in. This raises the question, would you still stand for what you believe in and use your platform as a voice even if it meant you lose your source of income?
