Runway Protest: Effective or Disrespectful?

Should fashion lovers support climate protestors interrupting shows or condemn them?

Fast Fashion and overconsumption have been controversial subjects on both the runway and media for the past several years and continues to be discussed and protested. On October 5, 2021, a climate activist crashed the Louis Vuitton runway show with a sign reading, “overconsuputon=extinction.” She was abruptly dragged off the stage by security as models stepped around her as if the catastrophic scene was not taking place at their feet. This event has struck up several opposing opinions concerning the morality of the protest and if this method is effective in getting a sustainable message across. I know personally, my Twitter feed has been blown up by users sharing their judgment on the scene. The argument lies on whether the protest is valid and important to raise awareness, or if the protestors are disrespectful in interrupting the hard work designer put into the art that each model wears.

On one side of the controversial topic, people speak in support of the protestor and their message, condemning Louis Vuitton for both their method of the protestor's removal as well as the practice of overconsumption. One Twitter user, Patrick Mazza, retweeted Reuter's informative tweet on the event that read “ A protestor disrupted a Louis Vuitton fashion show in Paris by walking down the catwalk with a banner condemning the impact of excessive consumption on the environment.” Mazza subtweets in support of the climate activist saying, “Video of the catwalk protest. They tackled her. She made them carry her away. Bernard Arnault, the world’s 3rd richest man with $156billion from the Louis Vuitton fashion empire, was in the audience." The irony of an activist protesting overconsumption being manhandled and dragged out by security, as models wearing the product walk around the scene and the creator of the brand sits in the guest spot is undeniable there. This irony and passionate tweet mustered up several opposing responses.

Twitter user @GgV0uge replies to Mazza’s tweet defending Louis Vuitton saying “She purposely sat down and went limp which is a deadweight tactic that made her impossible to be removed from the venue without being carried. If she wants to protest consumption, she should be in the lobby of Shien and Forever 21. Who is over-consuming Louis Vuitton?” The user points out that because of Louis Vuitton’s High price range, the average American is not able to afford a single product from the brand, much less overconsume. Similarly, the high price range stems from a sustainable and ethical means of production, so the argument lies of why protest the specific brand? There is also the opinion that protesting a couture fashion show is downright disrespectful. Twitter user @StrictlyThiccly agrees with this saying “So sad. People will protest anything, even art! Fashion is an art form that skill, creativity, hard, work, and lots of time to create and fashion lovers get quite upset when protesters interrupt a show!

No matter your opinion, this act has gotten the internet talking (and raising awareness is never a bad thing), but are these protests missing or feeling hollow to the actual people who they're supposed to convince. Are these people protesting going to affect real change? Is crashing a fashion show a violation of the art form or an effective way to promote awareness?

xoxo,

Amelia's Closet