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Can Streetwear Still Be Political?

Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency has left streetwear brands that thrived by celebrating racial or ethnic identity facing a starkly different cultural climate, where talk of social justice is drowned out by attacks on DEI and immigrants.
A person waving a Mexican flag during a march organized in Los Angeles in February to protest the Trump administration’s current immigration policies. The protestor is wearing garments by Born X Raised, a streetwear label founded in 2013 by Alex “2Tone” Erdmann and Chris “Spanto” Printup that’s dedicated to telling stories about the diverse communities behind the culture of Los Angeles.
A person wearing Born X Raised, a streetwear label dedicated to telling stories about the diverse communities behind the culture of Los Angeles, while protesting President Trump’s immigration policies during a march in the city this February. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
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BoF PROFESSIONAL

On a Friday night this past New York Fashion Week, while others in the industry were hopping around to parties, Victor Vegas was inside a community centre in Bushwick, Brooklyn, selling pieces from his latest seasonal collection alongside Latin American food vendors.

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About the author
Lei Takanashi
Lei Takanashi

Lei Takanashi is a Correspondent at The Business of Fashion (BoF). He is based in New York City and covers menswear, streetwear, young consumer trends, and the intersection between fashion and culture.

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