The fashion industry is using this month to start a movement they call #tiedtogether. In essence, this movement is meant to take a stand against President Trump’s controversial immigration ban.
While the movement is a great way to get people talking, the fashion industry has so much influence in the world we live in today and I think it should try to solve the problems that they have helped create instead of trying to involve themselves in big politics.
Why don’t they try to take a stand against a problem that faces millions of women and men around the world that the fashion industry has only aided in the worsening of? This is the idea that the ideal body consists of almost no body fat, abs and a size zero waist.
Samantha Moore / Art Director
Models like Gigi Hadid strutted down a runway wearing white bandanas wrapped around their wrists that had the phrase #tiedtogether written across it in red this fashion month. The statement was not intended to be political, says Business of Fashion’s founder and Editor-in-Chief Imran Amed. He ended his statement by saying, “We aim to start a global movement within the fashion industry to demonstrate the power of unity and inclusivity, and encourage fashion enthusiasts and people outside the industry to join.”
All that is a great sentiment, and it would be even more powerful coming from anyone but the fashion industry. It’s great that they want to start a movement. The fashion industry holds so much influence in the world.
Instead of trying to tackle the most controversial thing that has happened all year though the reality of having this body type is not something the fashion industry will ever show people. No body fat on a person means they will always be cold. No matter how many sweatshirts and scarves they put on, their body will always be tired. Simple everyday things like walking up stairs will put a strain on them and make them exhausted. They will always be hungry. They will never feel good enough. The standard will keep changing.
The industry looks at beautiful people with beautiful bodies who don’t have completly flat tummies and labels them “plus sized.” It sees no problem with that. When people label people like that, it stays with them; people learn to hate their perfectly normal, beautiful and healthy bodies.
If the fashion industry is really passionate on “demonstrat[ing] the power of unity and inclusivity,” then they need to change how they portray what a person should look like for not only the benefit of society, but the models who are already caught up in unhealthy body practices.
It’s easy to put a bandana on a model’s wrist and tell people that it means you should love others. It’s harder to make those same people love themselves. That is something they can help change. Body image disorders affect so many people. It’s a stance worth taking a stand for, today and every day.
Alyssa Salerno can be contacted at asalerno@kscequinox.com
