Most people remember June 2022 when Roe v. Wade was overturned, including the fashion world. Designer Prabal Gurung remembers spending time with his family. Outliers’ Willie Norris in the middle of a New York City subway station. Writer, model and designer Peshawn Bradt is building the set for the Marvel TV show Echo. But even those who can’t remember where they are can remember exactly how they felt. “I was completely stunned,” Diane von Furstenberg said. “All the progress we had worked so hard for just vanished in an instant,” Gurung said. Two years later, those first memories and feelings of despair have sprung into action.
As the political arm of the organization, Planned Parenthood Action Fund works to develop policies that ensure all people have access to the sexual and reproductive care and education they need to live fully, healthy lives. Indeed, not all Americans are like this. According to President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, more than 29 million women in 22 states, more than half of whom are Black of childbearing age and many who are transgender and non-binary, are being mistreated in their home states when abortion care is prohibited. “Restrictions on care hurt everyone,” she said. “But they disproportionately impact women, low-income people, LGBTQ+ people, and Black, Latinx, and other communities of color — communities where systemic racism and discrimination already make it difficult to access basic health care.”
To ensure all voices are represented, the team reached out to several designers to be part of the campaign and designed a T-shirt based on their signature aesthetic to support the campaign. The lineup includes Kenneth Cole, Kim Shui, Carly Cushnie, Fe Noel & Monse and Oscar de la Renta’s creative director Fernando Garcia. Karen Spruch, the nonprofit’s national arts and entertainment director, said of the partnership: “We’re excited to showcase their passion for the cause and leverage their enormous talent to create an exclusive collection for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.”
Despite their vastly different design approaches and aesthetics, they believe fashion has always been political, even as they wonder how clothing and style connect to larger issues like reproductive rights. “It’s how we express our identity, our faith, and our resistance,” Faye Noel told Esquim. “In today’s world where rights are being violated, fashion has become a way to amplify voices that aren’t always heard in the political sphere.” Gurung echoed these sentiments, saying he fundamentally believes the two are intertwined without being mutually exclusive. “Fashion can be glamorous, joyful, and fun, but it’s also a visual communicator, sending messages that show who you are and what you want.
As for the T-shirts, each designer created their own top with some iteration of the “We Decide” slogan tailored to their identity. Von Furstenberg wrote “Women Decide” in her instantly recognizable graffiti font, while Norris’ design read “Cool” in her signature high-cut queer and trans people decide. And Braid is an aboriginal, queer and femme representative who amplifies aboriginal voices using a folding technique called parfleche. “It’s a traditional art among tribes of the highlands, northern and southern plains,” she explains, calling it the art of creating carriers to carry items. “Thinking about this, I thought: ‘Aren’t we all vessels that carry precious things from the womb to the heart?
Spruchi said, “Each shirt is an excellent walking billboard, allowing individuals to proudly communicate their identity and beliefs and encourage others to vote in this important election.” To further realize their vision, the designers also selected inspiration from their communities and used it on their respective T-shirts. The list includes everyone from singer Saweetie to actors Ariana DeBose, Bowen Yang, and Quanah Chasinghorse. “She is a very strong person in our community and I admire her strength and the love she gives to so many people,” Brad said about working with model and actress Chasinghorse. “I am honored to be able to work with her and provide a platform for her art, which means the world.”
However, Norris said that while fashion can have a very powerful influence, it shouldn’t be used solely as a symbol. “We need to make real, actionable changes to the way we do business to have a real impact,” he explains.
For those who want to purchase the special designer T-shirts, they will be available on Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s marketplace on Sept. 24. What else can you do besides vote? “Talk to your friends, family and people in your community about the urgency of the upcoming election,” Johnson said. “Share your story! Attend events to get educated on the issues. Demand your elected officials fight for the future you want to see.” “Fashion is a powerful force,” Spucci said. “Now is the time to use it to promote reproductive freedom.”
Check out the collection below.
