From climate change to vegetarianism: how to wear slogans in 2020

Slogan statements aren’t just for sweatshirts — a new age of stylish social signalling is making its mark, says Karen Dacre
Stella McCartney's "Force of Nature" collection
Stella McCartney
Karen Dacre4 February 2020

Here in 2020 the slogan T-shirt is a style phenomenon that feels as original as partaking in the Dolly Parton challenge and yet our appetite for clothes that go some way to promote our personal politics remains.

Or so a quick scout of the luxury retail world suggests, with messaging from climate change to mental health now as commonplace as oversized logos, and the humble hoodie now a recognised medium with which to voice your opinions.

Stella McCartney, a self-confessed fashion activist, has long understood the combination of fashion and words as a means to celebrate the values of her brand, from vegetarianism to climate change. And this season she moves that on a step, with social signalling finding a way into the very heart of her designs, from tailored jackets to dresses.

The collection (a sub-collection of the designer’s mainline spring offering), is entitled Force of Nature and is a means to amplify concerns about the climate crisis in a spirit befitting the McCartney brand. Spanning everything from tailored trousers to Savile Row tailoring, the capsule is a collaboration with environmental author Jonathan Safran Foer — of Eating Animals and Every-thing Is Illuminated fame — and shares its title with his new novel We Are The Weather.

Stella McCartney's Force of Nature
Stella McCartney

McCartney, who has repurposed Foer’s words to create slogans such as “we are entirely free to live differently” for this offering, was inspired to create this sustainably created collection by her peers in the industry who have at last woken up to fashion’s responsibility to improve its practices.

“Everything that we stand for in our industry seems to have landed in a place that is finally starting to be understood,” she said, adding: “I feel now, more than ever, is the right time to really amplify it, so with this collection we’ve turned it up a little in a way that’s still hopefully joyous and approachable and not preachy and depressing.”

Être Cécile
Être Cécile

Certainly, while the climate crisis is the dark and threatening rain cloud hang over all of us right now, there’s nothing in the way of doom and gloom in this offering, with a radiating sunshine surrounded by the phrase “we are the weather” a literal highlight. “Our touch is always humorous and hopeful,” claims McCartney.

She shares this optimism with Christopher Kane who unveiled his own love letter to the environment at his most recent spring/summer show, with exquisite floral motifs and phrases such as “ecosexual” his way of celebrating the beauty of nature.

MM6 Maison Margiela
MM6 Maison Margiela

Off the catwalk, wearable social signalling is a sensation that lives on, on sweatshirts and T-shirts, with brands such as Être Cécile flying the flag for anti-pesticide campaigners via its “don’t panic, it’s organic” sweaters and slogan designer extraordinaire Bella Freud among those leading the charge.

And lest we forget Katharine Hamnett. As the home of the original politically charged fashion purchase — see slogans such as “58 per cent don’t want Pershing” and “make trade fair” — Hamnett is unrivalled in her ability to deliver a succinct message that packs a punch.

Accordingly, her latest collection is an amalgamation of her most iconic slogans, created from upcycled pieces and features messaging that feels as critical and relevant as it did in its Nineties heyday.

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