Viktor and Rolf and the messages of fashion

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The latest Viktor and Rolf fashion show is a sign that fashion is not only for dressing but also for sending messages of all kinds

The characteristic extravagance of the fashion house Viktor and Rolf was seen again in his last show of the Spring / Summer collection.

The collection consists of long colored dresses, all of them made with tulle and most with wide and pompous sleeves. Despite its unusual characteristics, what caught the attention beyond, were the messages captured in each of the dresses. It was entitled 'Fashion Statements,' and seeks to demonstrate that fashion can capture all kinds of messages, this time, literally.

Leer en español: Viktor and Rolf y los mensajes de la moda

The messages are based on memes or cliché phrases, which seek to go beyond the words itself since many seek to empower certain things and get out of the 'politically correct.' The catwalk tells a story with the messages that, according to the fashion house, are open to interpretation and can answer different questions asked by the same viewers.

This collection is a sign that fashion contains more than clothing and that, on the contrary, they are a tool of empowerment, not only for women but to empower any cause.

Read also: When fashion empowers ideas

Melania Trump, for example, was the protagonist of a moment in which the messages of fashion are more telling than what can be expected. In June 2018, the First Lady of the United States, who at the time was gaining popularity by publicly saying that children should not be separated from their parents, given the crisis of immigrants at that time, attended one of the centers where the children were, in a Zara jacket that was unfortunate for the occasion.

The jacket she used for her visit had a message on the back that said 'I really do not care, do u?' This message, taking into account the place where she was making the visit, was highly criticized, being a sign that fashion says a lot and goes beyond the simple function of dressing. As a result of this, Melania Trump replied that it was only a piece of clothing without any meaning, while her husband Donald Trump said that the jacket was in allusion to the media and their fake news.

Regardless of the explanations, celebrities, Democrats and in general public opinion took advantage of this event to create messages to show that they did care, criticizing the attitude that, according to public opinion, shows that the presidential family does not care about the reality of the world. The whole controversy gave the Democrats a campaign opportunity for the elections that took place in November.

On other occasions, fashion has been telling at crucial times, and public figures have used clothing to say something on specific circumstances. This is the case of the wife of Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia. Tutina Rodríguez de Santos will be remembered by many for her incredible style, and at the end of her period as the first lady, she took the opportunity to leave her mark. The occasions were the first and second presidential round of 2018.

In the first round vote, she was the star of the cameras because of her Top Shop pants, which had a red ribbon with the words "fake news." According to Semana, the brand's head of design said that "the term 'fake news' became so omnipresent last year that it officially became the word of the year," and jeans with this message seek to "immortalize" the words.

This term refers to lies that are highly disseminated by networks and even media and has been present in the current Colombian political situation, which could be a reason for many interpretations the fact that she has used them.

For the second round, in which the current president Ivan Duque was elected, Tutina returned to be seen with a message on his clothes very successful for the occasion and for the time he lives in the country. Amidst the tensions that came with the presidential elections and the polarization that is continuously present in Colombia, the wife of the former president wore a T-shirt stamped with a word: 'Colombianísima.'

The brand, Quote Me,is an enterprise from Barranquilla that puts prints with phrases from Colombia on their shirts. From messages, they seek to empower the country, rather than the brand. Therefore, this shirt with the word 'Colombianísima', emerged at the time of elections, which also crossed the world, as a show of support for the country. For the newspaper El Heraldo, one of the creators of the brand said that "this type of shirts, with regional messages, have been a success because each person feels proud of where they come from".

LatinAmerican Post | Juliana Suárez

Translated from "Viktor and Rolf y los mensajes de la moda"