Monday 14 November 2016

Fashion And American Politics Intertwined

Welcome back everyone!

As you will all be aware, a major decision was made here in the U.S. that is likely to have a huge impact on everyone and everything. I am obviously not American and get to return home to my life in the U.K. in just over 6 weeks meaning the result doesn't directly impact upon myself, but it felt so surreal to be so immersed in it all as the result unfolded. I'm not here to discuss how utterly mortified I am that Donald Trump has been elected as president as quite frankly it isn't worth my time or energy. Instead, I thought I would take a closer look at just how prominent fashion has been throughout the process. I only recently realised just how constructed fashion is for highly influential people, it isn't as simple as walking into Saks and picking something they like. Everything is thought about right down to the colour. 


Hillary Clinton is a lady that has used fashion as a tool. Throughout her most important public appearances, she has been wearing her now signature pant-suit in a range of deeply meaningful colours - all created by American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Her white pant-suit was in sync with #WearWhiteToVote out of respect for the American suffragists who chose white as one of their most signature colours. Interestingly, both Melania and Ivanka Trump chose to incorporate the colour into their outfits when they went to vote on Tuesday. Mrs Clinton's choice of purple for her concession speech the morning after the result most people thought would only come true in their worst nightmares, was symbolic of the Democrat blue and Republican red. 



I have found myself paying much closer attention to Melania Trump and what she is wearing in recent months. Her past isn't a crystal clear one and with the now secured realisation that she is going to be the First Lady of America, she has been making very conscious fashion choices. She is the only First Lady to have posed nude, but if you didn't know that then you would perhaps never guess as she has been seen in very conservative attire in recent years. I'm intrigued to see who she wears and how she is styled in the future. I feel it's not so much going to be her picking who she wants to wear but more who is willing to dress her. I expect she will predominantly be dressed by American designers but the Trump family have made a lot of enemies so I do wonder who will be brave enough to be associated with them as it could have a detrimental impact on their reputation in the fashion world. 

Anna Wintour, the Editor-In-Chief of American Vogue, expressed that she was very Pro-Hillary from the get go, so I imagine she is now feeling a little worse for wear. The real question is, will she choose to feature First Lady to be Melania on the cover or will she stick her middle finger up to the outcome and instead feature Mrs Clinton? Michelle Obama's December cover and interview was recently released on the eve of her departure from the White House - I wonder if Anna will do the same for Melania? Whatever decision she makes is a risky one for the magazine, I can't wait to find out what she decides to do. 


Speaking of Michelle Obama, she is a lady who has always made very thoughtful decisions in terms of which designers she wears. Two that she has worn very frequently throughout the years have been Isabelle Toledo and Jason Wu. Not only did she essentially put these designers on the map, particularly in Jason's case, but her choices also speak volumes about her acceptance of cultural inclusion, a silent but beautiful statement to make. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. 
These views are my own and I apologise if you feel offended in any way. 

Love, Lana Skye x 

Photo Credit: Google Images. 





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