Crazy for Fashion –
September 22, 2019 – However, in a protest that a press officer confirmed was not planned, one of the models held up their hands on which the words “mental health is not fashion” had been written. The model, Ayesha Tan Jones, later posted a video from the show on their Instagram feed. The video was accompanied by a statement that read: “As an artist and model who has experienced my own struggles with mental health, as well as family members and loved ones who have been affected by depression, anxiety, bipolar and schizophrenia, is hurtful and insensitive for a major fashion house such as Gucci to use this imagery as a concept for a fleeting fashion moment.”
“Presenting these struggles as props for selling clothes in today’s capitalist climate is vulgar, unimaginative and offensive to the millions of people around the world affected by these issues.” Some attendees, such as the actor and model Hari Nef, defended the show’s concept. She wrote on Instagram: “It was more a provocative reminder of submission than a glamorisation of insanity.”Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, said at a press conference afterwards that he had been thinking “about humanity and uniforms. A uniform is something that blocks and constrains you – that makes you anonymous. That makes you follow the direction of travel.” The straitjacket, he said, was “the highest type of uniform”.
