First Lady Jill Biden was the surprise keynote speaker at the “Fashion for Our Future” march encouraging voter registration this election year.
Organizers estimate that more than 1,000 industry professionals participated in the march, which began at 9 a.m. The march included Prabal Gurung, Michael Kors, Cynthia Rowley, Rebecca Moses, Thom Browne, Zac Posen, Tory Burch, Wes Gordon, Stan Herman, Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez and Karlie Kloss, and marched from Herald Square to Bryant Park.
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The march, organized by the CFDA and Vogue, was an opportunity for the industry to champion democracy. Wearing white T-shirts from Old Navy that read “Fashion for Our Future” on the front and “Vote” on the back, participants, including children in strollers, held signs and foghorns encouraging people to get out and vote.
After each member of the crowd was individually checked by security as they entered Bryant Park, Biden spoke alongside CFDA President Thom Browne and fashion designer and activist Aurora James.
Biden said that as a young woman, she almost considered not voting for her future husband, Joe Biden, when he first ran for Senate. “It was the ’70s, and I was a student at the University of Delaware. And there was real enthusiasm on campus for this young candidate. His name was Joe Biden. Everybody was voting for him,” she said.
“But I wasn’t so sure. You see, my family was Republican. Politics weren’t part of my life. But we were told that every vote counted. We believed in making a difference, and that’s why Joe won that election by only about 3,000 votes, and it could have easily been the other way around,” Biden said, wearing a black Zadig & Voltaire blazer with “Love” emblazoned on the back, skinny leather pants with metal studs, and a formal walking T-shirt under gray sneakers.
Years later, on a Saturday afternoon, she was invited out of the blue on a date. “It’s a pretty young crowd. I remember I had my hair down to my waist, like most of the guys I dated. But that evening, a handsome senator showed up at my door, but I took one look at his perfect suit and his leather loafers and thought, ‘Thank God, it’s just a date.’ But then we went to dinner and, you know, I said to myself, ‘Thank God I voted for him.'”
“So your day may not begin or end with politics, but elections are about so much more. They are about the freedom for our children to learn without fear, hatred and gun violence,” he told the crowd.
Referring to this week’s tragic school shooting, Biden said, “We all stand with Georgia, in sorrow and prayer, but we also must take action. We cannot accept these school shootings as a fact of life. [a reference to a comment made by Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance]… We should ban assault rifles, and I know you value the freedom to make your own choices. To be yourself, to love who you love, to have freedom, your freedom of creative expression. Those freedoms are at risk because of court decisions, because of book bans, because of the indifference that people have when they forget the power of voting,” Biden said.
He added, “Let’s remember this next president, your next president, will probably appoint new Supreme Court justices, your next senators will confirm them, and our children and grandchildren will have to live with those consequences. But you decide first. Elections matter.”
He encouraged viewers to “vote, vote early, and then help others do the same.”
Browne noted that this year marks the CFDA’s fourth anniversary of its collaboration with “I Am a Voter.” He said the First Lady recognizes the importance of everyone being involved in the entire process.
James said he came to this country nearly 20 years ago “because I too was chasing a dream. Each of us here today represents a part of the fabric that makes this country so special, that makes this country so beautiful, so strange, so magical, so abundant.” Whether it’s a textile worker, a bus driver, a lawyer or a shoe designer, he said each person contributes to “our collective success.”
“But this fall, that success is on the ballot. We’ve seen it threatened before, and we absolutely cannot go back. For all of us to prosper, we must act with passion and love for this country. We must show up and vote because I know one thing more: Elections are not just about marches. They are about opportunities to practice democracy and help shape and strengthen people, ideas and policies that empower all people, not just some people,” James said.
He encouraged people to identify five people in their phone book and text them to ask about their voting plans. Then text five more friends.
On the first day of New York Fashion Week, industry executives chatted and exchanged information with each other throughout the walk.
“I am proud to be here and encourage everyone to vote, especially on reproductive rights. [on the ballot] “It’s in my hometown in Missouri. We gotta do what we can. It’s the least we can do,” Kloss said.
“I think it’s a really important message to get out there,” said Ken Downing, Halston’s creative director. He said he voted the first chance he got, and that he voted in the election between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. “Not necessarily, but I voted the right way,” he said. “I voted in every state I lived in.”
“I support fashion in our future. I think everything is at stake right now,” Fern Mallis said. She said she was happy to see the industry coming together on this issue. “Maybe there’s something we can all agree on – get out there and vote and have a woman president,” she said.
“This is such a big moment,” said Buxton MIdyette, Supima’s vice president of marketing and promotions. “I love that this is part of the conversation. Fashion is such an important industry in our country and we need to have a voice.”
Julie Gilhart said she plans to call young people and encourage them to vote.
“I’ve never seen so many fashion people in front of Macy’s at a quarter to eight,” said Ulrich Grimm, former Calvin Klein vice president of global design, footwear, bags, accessories and home, who is now a consultant and teacher at Parsons School of Design. “When a community comes together, it’s incredible, it’s so powerful.”
Tracy Reese flew in from Detroit to attend the event. When asked what brought her here, she said, “Hope, urgency, advocacy, community and the future. It’s all about politics and community.” She said the CFDA has organized numerous community events for other causes, including breast cancer and AIDS. “We miss those moments. This is one of those moments,” Reese said. She said she helped get people in Detroit to register and then get to the polls. “Michigan is a big state, and we want to make sure people use their voices,” she said.
Deirdre Quinn, CEO of Lafayette 148, brought 14 people from her company, plus Sophie Elgort and Camila Perez. “It’s very exciting. I think there are some really important issues. I’m sure it’s the most important election of our time,” she said.
Gary Wassner said he came “to support the vote.”
“We can’t be political [at this event]”But we need to vote. We need to have a voice. We are a large industry with very little collective voice,” Wassner said.
Rebecca Moses says she’s obsessed with voting. After the Democratic National Convention, she launched a campaign on Instagram called “Go Vote Girls,” asking women to write a short letter each day explaining why they’re voting for Kamala Harris. “We’re doing a portrait of them to document a monumental election,” she said. “We’re trying to get people to register and understand the difference between lies and truth. There’s a lot going on in this election.”
Launch Gallery: Jill Biden, Tory Burch, Michael Kors and More Attend CFDA Fashion for Our Future Walk
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