Beyond our need to cover our bodies both for modesty and survival, fashion can also be used as a medium to diffuse power.
A protest can have multiple definitions, but all of them follow the same line.
A protest could represent a strong opinion against any issue, situation, or even thought, or a protest can be a simple statement or expression of ideals.
More regularly, we use this word to refer to activities that go hand in hand with activism, usually either the gathering of people to express their disagreement, or art pieces that criticize an issue.
In a nutshell, we use it in contexts where we have or can position politically.
Protest fashion or fashion activism is a symbolic power that uses fashion as a way of diffusion. Historically, it has been used as a tool mainly by women and communities of color as part of the idea that the body is also political.
With this in mind, we can establish that fashion – besides being a way to express our identity personally and socially – is also a way to position ourselves politically either against something or in conformity, challenging what we already know as normal.
An example of this is the ’60s “Mini Skirts Forever” movement which addressed the censorship of women’s bodies in contexts where they were not being presented for the enjoyment of the male audience.
It also fought against the social expectation that women must be modest, requiring that they had to follow strict dress codes to fit in, resulting in the limitation of female freedom.
In our present time, the use of protest fashion has become very controversial.
We face the great struggle between authenticity and an empty message, causing many to believe that fashion as a form of protest requires being used by people of high influence.
While this certainly helps, knowing the intention with which this movement is done is complicated because there’s only two ways it can go.
If fashion activism is done genuinely, it is usually accompanied by actions that go beyond wearing a garment. These include talking about the topic in an interview or sharing resources on their social media either to educate or to help.
Otherwise, it can manifest as only wearing the garment. This risks turning the protest into an empty message that is interpreted as a public relations movement which instrumentalizes the struggles it is supposed to represent.
— beyza misses chandler (@beyzanurapaydin) May 28, 2024
The Taser Skirt
Allow me introduce you to a project presented in social media by a Mexican girl named Andrea Guillén, who through her TikTok account shows us a piece called Taser Skirt, inspired by the victims of sexual street harassment.
In the video, Andrea is joined by a group of students to show audiences the process behind this piece. In essence, the Taser Skirt is a leather skirt that has a circuit, meaning any person who makes contact with its attached metal rings receives an electric shock. This has been incorporated to avoid inappropriate touching from unwanted people.
While this concept might be shocking to say the least, it is unfortunately necessary in many parts of the world. According to the INEGI, from 2020 to 2021, 17.9% of women over 15 years of age have been sexually assaulted in school settings.
‘Street harassment is a sign of domination towards our bodies, but also a way of relegating us to a private space,’ psychologist Sandra Lopez tells the Ciencia UNAM magazine.
The Taser Skirt is practical to use and has a symbolic power because it tries to raise awareness about an issue for which many women suffer daily – this is a clear representation of protest through fashion.
Hello, I\’m Eunice(She/her), born and raised in Mexico. I write about Latin American pop culture, my writing focuses on showcasing emerging talents who are disrupting their respective industries, and to help you discover new things to break your routine.
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