There was no shortage of political statements during New York Fashion Week held Feb. 9-15. From buttons and caps, to printed slogans on clothes and speeches, it appeared that designers had plenty to say about numerous issues, including immigration and women's rights.
Here are some highlights of the political statements.
1. Public School creative directors Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow unveiled a takeoff of President Donald Trump's red "Make America Great Again" hat with the slogan "Make American New York" for their runway shot.
"We wish the rest of the states were like New York from an inclusivity standpoint, from a diversity standpoint, from an action standpoint," Chow told the Business of Fashion publication. The designers also printed "We Need Leaders" on the backs of a number of their fashion pieces.
2. The Council of Fashion Designers of America gave out buttons supporting Planned Parenthood at shows along with information cards, The Week reported. Designers Anna Wintour, Diane von Furstenberg and Tracy Reese were all spotted wearing the pins, noted USA Today.
"We know that so many people stand with Planned Parenthood — including designers and entertainers — because they and their loved ones have relied on Planned Parenthood for health care, including life-saving care like cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing, and treatment and sex education," Reese said in a statement, according to The Week.
3. Designer Mara Hoffman invited the four co-chairs of January's Women's March on Washington to recite lines from the activist Angela Davis and the poets Maya Angelou and Audre Lorde at her show, according to The New York Times.
The Women's March was held the day after Trump's inauguration in Washington, D.C., and numerous other cities in support of women's rights.
"These four women organized the largest protest in the history of the world for human rights," Hoffman told her audience about the march's organizers. "The march happened, but now what?"
4. Designer Prabal Gurung showed her support for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren while taking a shot at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, sending a model down the runway of her show in a black T-shirt with white lettering that read, "Nevertheless, she persisted."
The words were what McConnell said before silencing Warren on the Senate floor earlier this month during the confirmation hearing for Jeff Sessions, Trump's pick for attorney general. The words have become a battle cry for Warren's supporters, according to The Washington Post.
Models at Gurung's show also wore T-shirts with slogans like "The future is female," "Stronger than fear," and "Our minds, our bodies, our power," Essence magazine noted.
5. Attempting to make a statement about immigration, designer Anniesa Hasibuan used models on work visa, immigrants and first- and second-generation citizens during her show Wednesday, according to NBC News.
"I wanted to celebrate the diversity of the American people and the story of the American dream unfolding on the runway," said Hasibuan, a Muslim designer from Indonesia, according to NBC News.
6. Fashion Week designer Adam Lippes this week posted a photo on Instagram, lending his political support to women's rights, surrounded by models holding signs with various phrases backing Planned Parenthood.
7. In a more subtle statement, every model at the Tommy Higfiger and Gigi Hadid show carried white bandanas, reportedly as a tie to the Business of Fashion's #tiedtogether campaign to "make a clear statement in support of solidarity, human unity, and inclusiveness amidst growing uncertainty and a dangerous narrative peddling division," The Week reported.
"The symbol of our movement is the white bandana — because in fashion, visuals often speak louder than words," the campaign's website said. "So join together this Fashion Month to make a simple and singular visual statement: wear a white bandana as a sign to the world that you believe in the common bonds of humankind — regardless of race, sexuality, gender or religion."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.