Fresh off the 57th Presidential Inauguration, the fashion community is ramping up conversations over who wore what. For those fashion-forward Dems who couldn’t make it to a ball, there was still an important Inauguration Day decision to be made: which souvenir to buy commemorating the moment in history? Inaugural gear was in no shortage – hustlers flocked to the crowds with pins, t-shirts, “official programs,” bookmarks, hats, and any other item that could be branded with Barack Obama. Unfortunately, the craftsmanship of this year’s inaugural street wear left much to be desired. Have no fear, though, it’s not too late to cop a shirt or bag via Runway to Win, the official Barack Obama collection designed by a plethora of the industry’s finest.
In 2008, the Obama campaign partnered up with the fashion industry to produce a series of runway collections. Runway for Change’s debut collection included limited edition designs from Zac Posen, Marc Jacobs, Pharrell, Beyoncé, and Tory Burch, amongst others. Riding the success of the initial collection, the industry decided to once again team up with Barack Obama for the 2012 election cycle, this time calling the effort Runway to Win. The project was spearheaded by fashion heavyweight Anna Wintour (Editor-in-Chief of Vogue) and included three campaign collections in addition to the inaugural collection currently available online.
Runway to Win kicked off in February 2012 at the Theory flagship store in NYC’s Meatpacking District. Hosted by Anna Wintour, Scarlett Johansson, and Jim Messina, the fashion week event brought together industry elites such as Diane von Furstenberg, Vera Wang, Narciso Rodriguez, Georgina Chapman, Russell Simmons, Diddy, and many others in support of the President. The event also created buzz among hip voters in the youth community, who have proven themselves critical to Obama’s victories. Credited with securing the very best in American designers for the project, Anna Wintour went above and beyond to ensure the fashion industry’s support was felt. Wintour didn’t just host a fundraiser in her home, she did the same at Paris fashion week in conjunction with legendary designer Tom Ford.
The official PIC press release from January 10th, 2013 reads, “Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced the launch of the 2013 Runway to Win Inaugural Edition. Top American designers have again volunteered their talents to create unique pieces to celebrate the Inauguration of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.” With prices ranging from $45 to $150, this is a great opportunity for people to support President Obama while adding big name designers to their wardrobe for a reasonable price. To date, the project has included 33 American designers and raised over $40 million for the Obama Victory Fund.
While the Obama campaign is credited with revolutionizing the way modern campaigns are run; the fashion industry is no stranger to politics. Over the years the industry has taken on many causes ranging from the anti-war war movement to feminism to marriage equality. However, the Obama gear niche that was birthed with his candidacy has allowed the fashion industry to directly impact American politics in an unprecedented sprit of design teamwork.
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