Here's Why More Luxury Fashion Brands Should Follow Gucci's Lead

This feature is dedicated to our #NoChangeNoFuture initiative. From the Women’s March, to Australia voting yes to same sex marriage, and the #MeToo movement, 2017 taught us to look beyond ourselves and come together as a collective of powerful women who are writing our own history. Join us as we cancel setting one-dimensional personal resolutions this January and commit to being the change we want to see. Because without change, there is no future.

As reported by WWD, Gucci has announced that the brand will be donating $500,000 to March for Our Lives. Organised by students across the U.S. after the recent Parkville shooting, the march’s website states that “in the tragic wake of the seventeen lives brutally cut short in Florida, politicians are telling us that now is not the time to talk about guns. March for Our Lives believes the time is now.” As inspiring as it is to see young people leading a movement for a cause that directly affects them, it’s equally moving to see a brand like Gucci, a major voice in the industry, take a stance and contribute to the cause.

Despite the fact that an internationally-renowned fashion house like Gucci has no need to be politically involved in subjects of this sort, creative director, Alessandro Michele, told WWD: “My love is with them and it will be next to them on March 24. I am standing with March for Our Lives and the strong young women and men across the United States who are fighting for their generation and those to come.”

Recently, brands have been standing up to support social causes, and it’s definitely a welcome change. From Prabal Gurung’s display of support for #MeToo during NYFW, to Burburry’s line celebrating LGBTQ+ rights, brands are creating dialogue about important topics in a new way. While some may believe that fashion has no place in politics, it is undeniably a vehicle for discussion and a reflection of society.

To see brands speak out (and in Gucci’s case, provide financial support) for major causes is truly motivational. In this day and age, it can seem like the world is only becoming worse. With bad news surfacing all the time about sexual harassment, political unrest, and the destruction of our environment, it is reassuring to see that important people in positions of power are doing what they can to make things better.

We can only hope that other brands will see Gucci taking this stance and be inspired to follow the lead. The more support and recognition these important topics get, the more likely we are to see a real change.

Gucci is available to shop online at Net-a-Porter.