In an attempt to protest the recent anti-abortion laws being passed in the United States, Gucci created a collection for a fashion show that was pro-abortion themed.
Alessandro Michele, the creative director for the high-end designer brand, said that he was “inspired by the laws being passed in the United States, and felt that women needed to be more respected.”
His solution? Clothing on the catwalk with pro-choice messages.
The collection, Gucci’s Cruise 2020 collection, included a dress with a flowering uterus, a sweater with the words “My Body, My Choice,” on the back of it, and another sweater with “May 22, 1987” on the back, which was the date abortion was legalized in Italy.
Michele said that the restrictions being made in the United States “made me consider how much women should be highly respected.”
“Sometimes in life choices are difficult, but I believe that it is the most difficult decision for a woman. I respect that decision. I respect that decision as I respect the idea that the uterus is a garden,” Michele said.
“I wanted to portray the idea that to interrupt a pregnancy does not wipe out the garden, the flower, that is the uterus of every woman,” he added, describing an abortion.
The Gucci fashion show was themed after a “bacchanal,” with an overt nod to “sexual freedom.” It was in honor of the 2020 Cruise Collection, in which celebrities like Elton John and Naomi Campbel were in attendance.
When fashion brands become political
Gucci is not the first fashion brand to take a political stand on the runway.
Designer fashion brands like Alice & Olivia, Christian Dior, and Prabal Gurung have all toted tee shirts with “feminist” embroidered on them over the years. Christian Dior even had one shirt that read “we should all be feminists” at a fashion show a few years ago.
In 2017, Elle UK made waves by creating a shirt that read “this is what a feminist looks like,” which was created a sweatshop, with mostly female workers. The ironic part was that they earned less than $1 an hour, and worked 12+ hour works days.