Sena Iwata

For my project, I chose to explore the theme “Fashion is Political.” This direction was shaped by the vibrant community I’ve encountered at Parsons School of Design, where we share a collective affinity for fashion and its culture. While the fashion industry is often portrayed with glamorous, romanticized allure, I believe it’s crucial—especially amid today’s turbulent political climate—to highlight that fashion transcends mere adornment and has always served as a powerful form of political communication. My goal was to create a piece that was visually captivating yet intellectually substantive. The challenge lay in writing informative, impactful captions without overwhelming the reader or diminishing the meaning in these designers’ work.

One example I would like to highlight is Alexander McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 1995–96 collection “Highland Rape,” a raw indictment of the Highland Clearances and the romanticization of that violence. While nearly all of McQueen’s other collections are exhaustively archived, “Highland Rape” has been systematically erased online. This is a clear testament to the fierce backlash he endured for his bold political activism upon unveiling the collection. Though gathering reliable material for this show proved nearly proved insurmountable, persevering through that challenge felt deeply appropriate—it mirrored the very motivation behind my decision to explore this politically charged topic.