Fashion's fetishization of morality

In wake of recent events, Vogue Italia recently published their newest issue with a couple seen kissing with face masks on that very much mirrors the painting "The Lovers II" by René Magritte’s. In the artwork, a barrier of fabric prevents the intimate embrace between two lovers, transforming an act of passion into one of isolation and frustration. But is this a reference to the painting created nearly 100 years ago with an re imagined interpretation of the sign of the times or a distasteful marketing ploy? Maria Grazia's last show for Dior was heavily criticized on the internet for its latest collection entitled "What if Women Ruled The World?. Many said her "clothes failed to match ambition" and appeared to be a lazily pulled together media ploy. Fashion's new fixation on female empowerment in the past decade has seemed like a bandwagon everyone is trying to get on and when it is executed, only done half-heartedly. Vivienne Westwood more famously is known for pioneering punk fashion and creating the "costume for the counter-culture" which is definitely a head on approach to becoming a strong pioneer for the opposition.

In a counter, When will we as a collective stop fetishing human rights giving capitalism the confidence to use designs as a tone deaf PR campaign? Though art may be symbolic for a movement or historical moment, It will not actually help people directly during these troubled times. Money towards efforts that directly fund these issues will. As well as policy.

A fashion label throwing around terms isn't enough to make anybody an activist. Having an opinion has become the action. You don't have to be proactive about any issue you care about anymore, you just have to "speak out". "raising awareness" really just means virtue signaling self promotion.

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