While fashion and politics may not always seem interconnected, the 2024 presidential election looms large over New York Fashion Week. This season, people across the industry are using NYFW as an opportunity to promote civic engagement.
The nonpartisan organization I am a voter. is partnering with the CFDA and the fashion community for the Fashion For Our Future march, which encourages voter participation in the upcoming 2024 election. Aiming to remove any barriers, the group plans to make voter registration forms available on the free CFDA shuttle buses ferrying guests from show to show throughout the spring 2025 season.
With such a high-stakes election on the line, designers are also feeling personally compelled to get involved. Whether passing the mic to the American Civil Liberties Union like Willy Chavarria or organizing voter registration booths at their stores like Ulla Johnson, designers are using their brands to help engender industry-wide civic engagement. More on these efforts, ahead.
Thom Browne
“i’m excited to walk in the fashion for our future march on friday, with support from the cfda and vogue…
i am so proud to be an american…
it’s important that we all participate in our election process …
this starts with helping people register to vote to make sure their voices are heard…
bringing together the fashion industry to collectively share this message is so important…”
Willy Chavarria
“With the presidential elections right around the corner, I am hosting a panel discussion with the ACLU to ignite public interest in voting in November! We are in a critical moment in time, and we must remember that we do have the power to protect our freedoms if we come together and vote!”
Ulla Johnson
“The right to vote is one of our most hard fought freedoms. This year of all years, as we see before us the possibility of finally breaking through the thousands of tiny cracks in the glass ceiling that have held us as women from this highest office, and as our rights to healthcare are being taken from us, we must head to the polls and bring along everyone we know. At Ulla Johnson we will be using our East and West coast stores as registration hubs, mobilizing our HQ team as well as our friends and neighbors with canvassing, phone banking, and letter-writing in battleground states. Let us together make this one of the most historic elections of our lifetime.”
Michael Kors
“I always remember going with my mom when she voted on Election Day. She always stressed the importance of it to me, and although I have no children, I feel it’s imperative to emphasize to everyone, of all ages, to use their right to vote so that their voice is heard. I particularly stress to young people, from friends and family to employees, the importance of registering and voting. This defines democracy. I’m excited to participate in the Fashion For Our Future march to help get the message out to register, and to vote.”
