American fashion model Bella Hadid attended the Cannes Film Festival in a red Keffiyeh dress, meant to symbolize her support for the Palestinian people. From Vogue to popular Instagram accounts like The Cut and Dazed Fashion – the fashion community raved and praised her for it. I rolled my eyes so hard I almost got a headache.
View this post on Instagram
Using activism as a fashion statement is not a new phenomenon. In 2015, Karl Lagerfeld paraded his models carrying protest signs with slogans like "Make fashion, not war" and "Be your own stylist" at his annual fashion show. In 2021, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in an impressive act of hypocrisy, attended the Met Gala – a $35,000 per ticket event – wearing a luxury dress emblazoned with "tax the rich."
However, it seems that since Hamas' violent attack on Israel on Oct. 7, this trend has gained momentum. Bella wasn't the only one at Cannes: Cate Blanchett wore a black, white, and green dress that, combined with the red carpet, resembled the Palestinian flag. The resemblance to the Palestinian flag was likely intentional, as the dress was designed by Haider Ackermann, one of the loudest voices on the internet against Israel, despite their minimal familiarity with the issue. As Cate herself said in November in the European Parliament: "I am not Syrian, not Ukrainian, not Yemeni. I'm not Afghan, I'm not from South Sudan. I am not from Israel or Palestine. I'm not a politician, I'm not even an expert." Since Oct. 7, a new level of hypocrisy seems to have spread worldwide. Acts previously considered cultural appropriation have become trendy on campuses in the US, and the importance of being informed before taking a firm stance has fallen out of fashion.
Bella could address the young female soldiers held captive and severely tortured by Hamas, who are not yet 20 years old. The same soldiers whose graphic video was released on the same day she wore that dress, in a last desperate attempt by their families; she could refer to how Hamas treats civilians in Gaza, to the harsh violence it inflicts on Gazans who do not cooperate with it; or even to political issues in the US, where she grew up, which she presumably knows better than the Middle East, to which she has a relatively loose connection. But such a choice would not have brought her symbolic (and real) success. As a model whose economic value is determined by media and social media exposure and the amount of buzz she generates, a complex and compassionate statement is simply not a financially profitable move.
To be clear, I am not against expressing political protest through fashion; quite the contrary. As a graduate of fashion and culture studies and a current fashion researcher, I am the first to say that fashion is an unparalleled powerful tool of expression that allows you to say what words cannot. But for a protest to be brave, the protester must pay a price, not receive gain. And it is desirable that the protest be on a topic directly concerning the protester's life.
Take, for example, the Iranian model Mahlagha Jaberi, who walked the same red carpet last year wearing a black dress with a rope-shaped neckline by Iranian designer Gila Saber, to raise awareness of the executions of innocent women in Iran by the Iranian government. Jaberi risked her life in a brave act to help the Iranian women maintain their lives and their freedom. In contrast, Hadid, in an irritating negative portrayal, profits off the backs of Palestinians and Israelis alike, on her way to receiving more likes on Instagram and getting another prestigious campaign. Did her keffiyeh dress help anyone in Gaza or Israel? Of course not. Does it matter to her? The answer is probably no, again.
