AGE OF DISSENT

The red carpet is showing sparks of resistance and the determination to have a social impact

- Bandana Tewari

FROM SARTORIAL TO SYMBOLIC to socio-political— fashion has come a long way. In fact, whilst fashion is being vociferously called out for its excesses related to environmental degradation, it is also being harnessed as the mouthpiece for social change. The list of pressing social challenges—gender equality or fluidity, environmental sustainability, hyper-consumption, and more—have been pivotal talking points on the ramp and the red carpet. With millions glued to their TV screens and social media upsurge during fashion weeks and film screenings, not to forget the overall obsession with CWS (Celebrity Worship Syndrome, a term coined by Lynn McCutcheon and her research colleagues in the early 2000s)—clothes can be seen as powerful canvases for announcing people’s inner and outer truths.