It is often said that fashion and politics should never mix.
But in the current political climate, people are beginning to question if this statement is still valid. Indeed, the conversation surrounding politics’ hand in fashion is beginning to shift.
These days, a brand’s political views can have a direct effect on their overall success as a company. What a company decides to say—or not say—can change consumer opinions of the brand as a whole.
An August 2018 Hollywood Reporter article discussed how Kanye West’s political views had a direct effect on the success of his clothing line, Yeezy.
West has been known to be quite outspoken in his right wing support of President Donald Trump, often being photographed at events with Trump, making frequent visits to the White House, and regularly sporting his Make America Great Again hat.
The article reads, “The rap star turned Yeezy fashion mogul has been on a Twitter tear, pledging his support on the social media platform for President Donald Trump, something that has gotten many brands in hot water in a time when consumers vote with their dollars.
“But for Kanye and his brand, it will affect sales among liberal elites.”
For the first time this year, his Yeezy sneakers failed to sell out in 24 hours, and spectateurs believe it could be as a result of his conservative political beliefs and active support of Trump.
Indeed, it appears that West’s political views have been putting a bad taste in the mouths of consumers, and are beginning to affect overall company sales. Twitter users joke that every time West tweets his support for Trump, the price of Yeezys decreases more and more.
While his political beliefs seem inherently tied to his fashion line, other companies are vehemently opposed to linking their brand to any political ideals whatsoever.
For example, Victoria’s Secret has never been a political company and has typically remained silent in the wake of political news.
However, in 2018, just hours before the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Vogue published an article in which chief marketing officer Ed Razek was asked about his views on transgender and plus size models.
Razek said, “Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.
“We attempted to do a television special for plus-sizes [in 2000]. No one had any interest in it, still don’t.”
For these reasons and many more, it seems that Victoria’s Secret sales are dropping more than ever. According to Forbes, they have “reported a 1% decline in comparable sales in the five weeks ended July 7… Worse yet, when stripping out online and other direct sales, store-only comparable sales fell 6%.”
Therefore, it appears that companies that turn a blind eye to political and social issues are actually doing more harm to their company than good.
That is why companies such as Rihanna’s brands, Savage X Fenty and Fenty Beauty, are particularly unique. Rather than turning away from the political, she has actively leaned into it. And with her new position as Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Barbados, she couldn’t turn away from the political even if she tried.
When it comes to her makeup brand, Fenty Beauty, she has been commended for offering more foundation skin shades than virtually any other makeup brand – a whopping 40 shades.
Rihanna decided to do this as a way to represent a wide range of skin shades, which is especially important when so many makeup brands simply don’t offer enough shades, especially for darker skin tones.
Not only is her makeup political in its attempts to be inclusive in its depiction of underrepresented skin tones, but her clothing brand, Savage X Benty, seeks to offer options for all different kinds of body types.
Rihanna’s fashion and beauty ranges have seen a huge amount of success. In just one month, the company reported $72 million in sales and marketing.
According to influencer marketplace Octoloy, “Because Fenty Beauty has changed the diversity standard, beauty brands are starting to diversify their campaigns by adding more women of colour to their PR lists, social media pages, in their ads and so forth.”
Therefore, while a company’s political views may not be something that every consumer considers, there is certainly no question that it can have an incredibly significant effect on the overall success of a fashion brand.
Do you agree? Is there a place for politics in fashion, and does a brand’s political values effect your decision to buy their products? Let us know!
