Designer bras and hoodies promote social activism

Adyran Son, Contributing Writer

As part of National Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, British designer Stella McCartney has created post-mastectomy bras to honor her late mother Linda McCartney, who died of breast cancer in 1998. The cause is no doubt near and dear to the designer’s heart.

While her mother was certainly her biggest inspiration for designing the product — the name of the piece being the “Louise Listening Bra,” taken from her mother’s middle name —  another one of McCartney’s focuses with the bra is to highlight that women who go through cancer should not give up their femininity.

“Cancer and mastectomy cannot destroy you, they cannot win,” McCartney said in an interview with Vogue. “We want to deliver on all fronts by providing technical support and comfort while women heal, without sacrificing on style, fashion, femininity, and fit. We wanted to give all of that to the woman who is battling through this.”

Unlike other post-mastectomy bras that merely serve as prosthetic devices, McCartney’s bras also emphasize the post-surgery beauty of women with pieces in blush pink and detailed with lace. With this new line, McCartney is not only raising awareness for breast cancer, but also raising funds to donate to the Hello Beautiful Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides complimentary, professional makeovers and cosmetic education to women battling all types of cancer.

Another designer taking a proactive stance is cult favorite Alexander Wang, funding DoSomething.org to promote social activism among young people. One of the largest global organizations for young people and social change, DoSomething covers a wide range of social activist issues. Recent successful campaigns in 2015 alone include convincing Merriam-Webster to change its racist definition of “nude,” sharing 84,497 pairs of Thumb Socks to reduce texting while driving and recycling 589,160 pounds of textiles to keep them out of landfills.

Wang recently created t-shirts and hoodies branded with the bold “DoSomething” logo, selling for $45 and $85 respectively. 50 percent of proceeds from the collection’s sales will go to the DoSomething organization, and with this latest celebrity filled campaign, Wang is passionately promoting the idea of influencing the future leaders of the world to go out and be more vocal in fighting for social issues like homelessness, racism and more.

Wang, who himself participated in the campaign, enlisted help from friend and photographer Steven Klein along with 38 superstar pals including Kanye West, Cara Delevingne and The Weeknd. These participants garnered surefire attention, proving that Wang knows just how to gain support not only for his brand but also for his social causes.

These proactive decisions by both designers speak to McCartney and Wang’s overall brand power and the potential they can have on setting a trend bigger than a white sneaker.

Email Adryan Son at [email protected].