Fashion isn’t just functional — it’s transformative. It can be a form of political speech, like when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made headlines in a white gown emblazoned with “Tax the Rich.” It can also be a statement of resistance, as when the Black Panthers adopted black berets, a uniform that came to symbolize unity and power. Understanding the language of fashion is key to understanding the times we live in. It’s a translator for anyone trying to navigate this moment and one of the ten steps to reclaiming freedom and power as we challenge norms and assert our identity. Those of us who are pro-democracy may one day need to show who we are just as clearly. What we wear might matter more than we think. This week on Assembly Required, Stacey is joined by fashion editor and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Robin Givhan. She breaks down how fashion reflects our culture back to us and what that reflection reveals about the political moment we’re in.Learn & Do More:Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Robin, pick up her latest book, Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh.Solve Problems: Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills — the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes every single second. To help reduce waste, be mindful of your clothing consumption and shopping habits. Before clicking “buy” on that fast fashion site for the latest trend at the cheapest price, ask yourself: Do I really need this? Can I buy it from a sustainable source? Can I thrift something similar instead? Do Good:If you have old clothes or have been meaning to clean out your closet, don’t throw them away. Instead, consider donating them to those in need. Goodwill, your place of worship, or local homeless shelters are great places to start. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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View important disclosures at acorns.com slash assembly. Welcome to Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams from Crooked Media. I'm your host, Stacey Abrams. Growing up in southern Mississippi, I didn't really pay too much attention to fashion. We shared basically the only mall with the city next door, and the big chains hadn't quite discovered the Gulfport-Biloxi corridor.
But my older sister was an aficionado of the magazines and the looks they covered from New York, London, Milan, Paris. So I learned a bit by osmosis. My tutelage was accelerated when I went to Spelman College, started watching Project Runway, and then when I ran for public office. What I wore became as much a topic of conversation sometimes as the legislation I voted on.
The intersection of fashion and politics can seem strange, but they are closely aligned. So clothes aren't just functional. In the right combination of circumstances, they are transformative. What we wear is a form of self-expression, a way to share who we are without saying a word. Choosing between a dress and a pair of slacks, a solid or a vibrant pattern, these are languages all their own.
They can speak to confidence, ambition, and even power. Fashion can also be a form of political speech, literally. At the 2021 Met Gala, AOC made headlines in a white satin dress with quote, tax the rich, spray painted in bold red letters, garnering both praise and criticism. In 2019, Lena Waithe and designer Kirby Jean-Ramond
wore matching suits emblazoned with, quote, Black Drag Queen's Invented Camp and, quote, Fix Your Credit, Pull Money, Buy Back the Block. Singer Joy Villa arrived in a red, white, and blue gown that read, quote, Trump 2020 in stark white text. And in every case, the world noticed. But political resistance in fashion has the capacity to be subtle yet unmistakable.
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