New York Fashion Week With Call to Vote from Jill Biden

AFP/APP

New York: US First Lady Jill Biden called for the protection of “freedoms” during a “get out the vote” demonstration that opened New York Fashion Week with a political tone two months ahead of the US presidential election.

Biden was joined by high-profile US fashion designers, including Thom Browne, Michael Kors, and Tory Burch, in front of a crowd of roughly 1,000 fashion industry insiders. The “Fashion for our Future” march, organized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), marked the first day of the weeklong event showcasing looks for the Spring/Summer 2025 season.

Held outside Macy’s flagship department store in Manhattan, the march was intended to be nonpartisan. However, the surprise appearance of the Democratic First Lady sent a clear message.

‘Freedoms’

“I know that you care about the freedom to make your own choices, be who you are, love who you love… your freedom of creative expression,” Biden said to applause from the crowd. “These freedoms are at risk because of court decisions, book bans, and shrugs of apathy when people forget the power of the vote,” she added.

The US presidential election, set for November 5, pits Democrat Kamala Harris against Republican nominee Donald Trump. Jill Biden’s husband, US President Joe Biden, had been set to be the Democratic nominee until he dropped out of the race on July 21, endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris.

“So let’s remember this: the next president, your next president, will likely appoint new Supreme Court justices,” the First Lady said. “Your next senators will confirm them, and our children and grandchildren will have to live with those consequences.”

Prior to the march, Jill Biden attended the Ralph Lauren fashion show on Thursday evening and paid tribute to Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine. Wintour featured Biden on the magazine’s August cover and has organized several Democratic Party fundraisers.

‘Democratic ‘Bubble’

While promoting open-mindedness, major fashion brands typically avoid political squabbles in the United States, fearing backlash. However, in February 2017, shortly after former President Donald Trump’s election, New York Fashion Week took a pointed stance against his immigration policies, defending abortion and women’s healthcare.

“We are in the bubble of the bubble of the bubble,” joked Ulrich Grimm, an accessories designer and professor at Parsons School of Design, referencing New York’s Democratic stronghold and the fashion industry’s leanings.

Beside him, designer Joy Gryson expressed concerns about the freedom of “any woman, person of color, LGBTQ individuals.”

Nearly 100 fashion brands will showcase their Spring/Summer 2025 collections at New York Fashion Week, including emerging talents and heavyweights like Tommy Hilfiger.