OP-ED: Eden Loweth on Why Designers Must Do More to Support Inclusive Fashion on the Catwalk
Backstage photography by Mati Araoz
By Eden Loweth, Creative Director of ART SCHOOL
The idea of Therapy, the aided self reflection of you as a person, is something in light of our current world felt relevant to me when thinking about the way I wanted to present ART SCHOOL, my community based label, to the world in my first stand alone show as creative director. In a society facing terrible hardships as a result of Covid-19 and our current political landscape, I wanted to present something that felt like more than a show, more than clothes, a clear and proud message of hope to all those hit the hardest this year.
Fashion has the ability to make real change, this is something I’ve always believed from the day I entered the industry working for the LVMH Prize winner Grace Wales Bonner, who’s perspective of black culture continues to set the bar for true representation. So, naturally, in my own brand I wanted to instill a deep sense of inclusion that reflected my own queer community which continues to guide me in everything I do. But this season something changed. I began advising Fashion Roundtable on an APPG paper “Diversity and Inclusion in Fashion”. At these enlightening meetings I had the honor of meeting Laura and Zoe, from the model agency Zebedee Management– these incredible women have made it their mission to represent models of all levels of ability. I instantly knew that the problems they face in breaking industry norms on representation were the same battles I’d been facing for years. It therefore felt natural to work with them and open the doors to this new community of people to join the ART SCHOOL world.
It changed everything.
For the first time, the industry was faced with a show that answered real questions on what it means to be inclusive, to represent communities and, above all, real people. Each model that walked my show represented a different part of society, meshing together so many worlds to form one voice and one message.
Beyond the clothes real change can, and does, happen.
I am blessed to find myself surrounded by a pioneering group of peers, Charles Jeffrey, Bianca Saunders, Bethany Williams, Paria Farzaneh to name a few; young designers each representing their own communities whilst together we rise to reflect the world today. It’s a powerful force that I believe will make real change in this industry.
In conclusion, it should not simply be a performative act to represent these people, these communities; it’s our collective responsibility. For too long communities like the one I come from have been trapped in a marginalised reality of under representation and exclusion, this has to stop. I implore every designer, agent, creative and CEO reading this to open the doors to real change. In this moment, in 2020, a year of unimaginable hardship, now is the time to act.
I leave you with this, on the eve of my most recent show, I received a message from Damian Harper, one of the incredible models we found through our partnership with Zebedee. He said “Life only stops when you stop trying.” I think that’s something we can all listen to.
