Feminism, Me and Chanel

This past week when Karl Lagerfeld sent his models down a runway, that was made to look like a Parisian Boulevard, staging a feminist protest-it would only be a matter of time before the controversy would ensue.

As of late, feminism has been increasingly present and talked about in our mainstream culture. Emma Watson's speech at the He for She conference, hosted by the UN, has been flashing across everyone's social media feeds. Staunch feminist Lena Dunham recently released her memoir "Not That Kind of Girl". Beyonce sampled feminist icon Chimanda Ngozi Adichie on her hit song "Flawless" and stood on the stage of the MTV Music Awards with the word "FEMINIST" emblazoned on screens behind her. As well, many young women in the entertainment industry have been panned for saying they are not a feminist. It's the new hot, red carpet question, "Who are you wearing? Are you happy to be here? By the way....Are you a feminist?" It is not a question that is fair to throw such a loaded question to a young woman, it also perpetuates this belief that feminism is a "woman's thing".

I'm a 22 year old caucasian woman. I grew up in a household that I thought was the norm. My Mother and Father are equals both in their marriage and within the household. Both of them did the cleaning, the cooking, and they both were actively involved in mine and my sisters' lives. Looking back I realise that they demonstrated true gender equality in an organic and authentic way, never making a big deal of it as they knew it was "just the right thing to do". Growing up, at no time did I ever feel I was unable to do something because I am female. I have always made decisions in my life based on my morals, my desire to do something and my ability to accomplish the task at hand. I have never once thought, "I would be unable to do -BLANK- because I am female."

I have always believed in equity and naively thought that it was a given within the society I lived in. That equality between the sexes was the standard. Because of my, ignorant or even arrogant belief, I never self identified as a feminist. Both of my parents are feminists. My Mother is very proud of being a staunch feminist. I thought that because of the time she grew up in she had to be a feminist in order to accomplish all she has, both for herself and for other women. I always admired my Mother for her beliefs. Aside from my Mother, many of the other women I met who identified themselves as feminist, were bitter. They seemed to hold strong judgements against ALL men and I felt their message was more about vengeance than equity. I am not disputing that gender inequality, sexism and misogyny are upsetting but to quote Gloria Steinem "the truth will set you free but first it will really piss you off," these women seemed to be still pissed off and unwilling to be set free.

I have always had a love for aesthetics. Since I was a young girl art and fashion have always excited me. I would watch Fashion Television regularly, read Vogue and dreamed of Chanel, Avedon and Paris Fashion Week. As well I have a deep compassion for humanity. I always want to help in any way I can, be it for my best friend or a young girl on the other side of the world. I look at all individuals as human. I believe in equity between all humans. It is a human right and I believe that those who discriminate and show preference based on gender are as despicable as those who discriminate and show preference in race.

I have always felt an organic flow between my love of Fashion, the humanities, politics and human rights. They are all things I am equally passionate about, however I have felt a societal pressure that my love for Fashion is frivolous compared to my other passions. I would even go as far as saying that I have been made to feel a level of shame for this passion and that it somehow diminished my intelligence, that it was beneath me to put myself in it.

I recently listened to a radio program on CBC Radio 1 where they discussed the Chanel Fashion Show and the designer behind it, Karl Lagerfeld. They had fashion legend Jeanne Bekker (who recently curated the Politics of Fashion exhibition at the Design Exchange), prolific Canadian feminist Judy Rebick as well as Kim Katrin Milan a multidisciplinary artist. Both Rebick and Bekker have seen vast improvements in women's rights and the evolution of Feminism. Bekker felt that Lagerfeld, whom she knows, was just "stirring the pot". Rebick agreed that feminism is seeing a surge of popularity and "coolness' within pop culture and in her opinion "it's great." Kim Catrin Milan offered a very different opinion, saying that it was ridiculous and tokenizing for Lagerfeld and Chanel to stage a feminist protest on the runway. I was bothered by what I feel is becoming a trend, pioneering women of feminism are excited by the mainstream's embracing of feminism while younger women seem to want to judge who can identify as a feminist or spread the feminist message.

The fashion world is a reflection of our times, and right now our times are seeing a surge of feminism in the pop culture psyche. I have come to the realisation in the last 2 years that my beliefs of human equity are not the norm and I must identify as a feminist in order to show my support. There are varying degrees of feminism, like there are varying degrees of enviromentalism. Both eco terrorists and people who make eco conscious decisions fall underneath the label of environmentalist but their differences are staggering. Somehow as a society the differences within feminism seem to be less obvious.

I believe that it is a sad fact that to believe in human equity you must label yourself. There is not a label for someone who does not judge or have hate based on race but there is a label for someone who does-a racist. Many of the -isms we have in society signify a minority or belief you can have by choice (right or wrong). Feminism as it stands right now is a choice. Equity between humans is a choice. That it is not an expectation we have as humans that there is equity between sexes is wrong.

I take issue with the some of the group I now associate myself with. Yes Chanel is only accessible to people with great means. Yes Emma Watson repeated what many have said before her. Yes Chimanda Ngozi Adichie's Ted Talk had been up long before it was featured in a Beyonce song. But if the end goal of feminism is to have equity between sexes does it really matter who is delivering the message as long as the message is being delivered?

A lot of the arguments I have heard as to why it was wrong for the Chanel show to have a staged feminist protest seem incredibly trivial. From the fact that underground designers already have feminist messaging, to Chanel being elitist, that it was thin models holding the signs, TRIVIAL. Feminism is being seen on platforms not previously owned, or thought to be a part of the feminist movement and I see that as progress. All I am hearing is an argument similar to when you love an indie band, then the band is featured on a hot TV show, but you knew it first-so your opinion must be sooooooo much more valid than those who are just starting to uncover the awesome music. In the end the music is still awesome, and would you not want everyone to listen to it? I know this is not the same and that there are pioneers and history that must be respected in regards to feminism, but people can uncover all of that while still supporting equity.

Everyone will come to feminism in a different way, but the ideas of feminism should not be owned by a group who pass judgement as to who can talk about it or not. I look forward to the day when human equity is a given. However we will not get there if we make it difficult or discouraging to spread the message or be a part of it.

My name is Chelsea, I am a feminist, a lover of humans, Chanel and equity of individual's choices and right to an opinion in how they identify as a feminist.