Rape survivor - Heather Corinna - has turned her terrible experience into something positive and set up a support group for fellow survivors. But it is the "I was raped" shirts which people were talking about. Designed to try and break down the stigma many people is attached to this crime.
I will let Heather explain: "Because wearing it lets others know that they aren't alone. Because wearing it invites conversation about a silenced experience that so many women and men share. Because being public shatters the very silence that enables rape to be so common."
Implications - Fashion designers are increasingly using shock to advance a social or cultural message in their collections.
Shock Fashion for Awareness
I Was Raped T Shirt
Trend Themes
1. Shocking Fashion - Fashion designers using shock to advance social or cultural messages in their collections.
2. Supportive Apparel - Apparel with empowering messages and symbols to break down stigmas and create conversation.
3. Silence Breaking Fashion - Fashion items that encourage dialogue and awareness about sensitive topics, like rape and sexual assault.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Opportunity for fashion brands to use shock as a way to promote social change and challenge stigmas.
2. Social Activism - Rise in fashion as a medium for spreading awareness and creating conversations about important social issues.
3. Support Groups - Support groups for survivors of traumatic experiences can explore collaborations with fashion brands to amplify their message and create a greater impact.