Last week some of the world’s most famous musicians of colour – including Beyoncé, Rihanna and Pharrell Williams – joined forces to make a political video emphasising how precarious life is for African Americans around the police. Now Public School and DKNY designer, Maxwell Osborne, has written an open letter to the fashion industry calling for its support in the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the letter, entitled Why I Stand with Black Lives Matter, Maxwell wrote:
“I write this open letter to encourage the fashion industry to not just continue the dialogue of race in America, but to do something about it […] Fashion exists in a world of make believe. Our job is to offer an escape from everyday life and a fantasy of glamour and beautiful clothes. It’s easy to forget the real world with its very real problems. But it doesn’t have to be that way”.
Maxwell, who attended his first protest last week, following the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police officers, highlighted how the fashion industry can help:
“Encourage diversity on your runways and campaigns. Empower your social media fans to raise their voices. Use your designs for the public good. Attend a protest and see change in action. Raise awareness – it’s not as empty a gesture as it may seem – and others will follow your lead”.
Maxwell’s full letter for W Magazine can be found here.
#Peace.Love.BlackLivesMatter
