You’d think that after Barack Obama was voted into the White House, the worldwide mania and cult of personality surrounding the Commander in Chief, would have reached its crescendo and abated a little bit.
A couple of months ago, French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s Paris runway featured a model wearing a dress with President Obama’s image on it. Just recently, the mania over the 44th President reached the catwalks of Rome, where Italian haute couture fashion designer Guillermo Mariotto sent a model down his runway wearing a red and beige kaftan emblazoned with Shepard Fairey’s portrait of Obama.
The model showcased the kaftan during Gattinoni’s Rome Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2009 show on February 1, 2009.
Note: The last two images come from Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s Paris runway.
Presidential Catwalk Mania
Barack Obama's Face Hits the Roman Runways
Trend Themes
1. Cult of Personality Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing clothing and accessories featuring images of popular political figures.
2. Political Iconography in Fashion - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating portraits of iconic political figures into fashion designs.
3. Celebrity-inspired Runway Trends - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating runway fashions that showcase images and motifs of famous celebrities.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Collaborating with artists to create unique and iconic fashion pieces.
2. Political Advertising - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Utilizing popular political figures to promote fashion brands.
3. Event Planning - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating political themes and imagery into fashion shows and other events.