An upcoming fashion show entitled “Fashioning Resistance to Militarism” will feature designs with a message about peace, war and the costs of militarism once again reinforcing the old adage that what you wear makes a statement.
The show, put on by the Women’s Center, the Women and Gender Studies program and
community peace group Oregon Women’s Action for New Directions, will be held on Thursday, May 13 in Agate Hall.  The show will be free and open to the community.
According to women’s and gender studies professor and event coordinator Gwyn Kirk, the fashion show is intended to “draw people’s attention to how central the military is in our society, how much money the military spends, how huge its budget is and the different  ways that militarism impacts people’s lives.”
“These are serious topics, but the fashion show format is such a fun and creative way to talk about heavy topics,” Kirk said.
The idea for a militarism fashion show began in Kirk’s winter term class on women and militarism.
Kirk has been involved in peace activism for many years, and in 2005 helped organize a similar show in Oakland, Calif.
Outfits at the Oakland show included a camouflage wedding dress, a reference to the sacrifices made by the wives of soldiers, and a skirt and jacket with different fabrics representing the money that the government spends on the military.
Ideas for outfit designs will be accepted until Friday, April 9. Everyone is welcome to submit a design, and designs should address an issue related to militarism and war. The show also needs models, slam poets and musicians to perform between outfits. Interested students can contact Kirk at [email protected].
Designers may bring their outfits to the Wesley Center on April 2 or April 9 between noon and 5 p.m. for a trial run, or send a sketch of the design to Kirk. The planning committee hopes to showcase 18 outfits in the May fashion show.
Senior Katie Hulse, who took Kirk’s class on women and militarism in the winter and worked on the planning team for the show, hopes Fashioning Resistance to Militarism will
challenge the normalcy of American militarism.
“The goal is to get people to think twice about militarism and the way we prioritize militarism in the United States’ budget,” Hulse said.
The show, however, is primarily designed to be a social event featuring music, a variety of
performers and information about peace activism in addition to the outfits on display.
Although the show is sponsored by women’s organizations, Kirk emphasized that both men and women are encouraged to submit designs.
“I think women are impacted in particular ways by militarism, but the focus isn’t specifically women,” Kirk said.
Kirk promised the show will draw attention to the costs of militarism, including money spent, environmental contamination and the human devastation.
“Nobody thinks to question military spending because it’s seen as national defense, and national defense is something that’s kind of ‘sacred,’” Kirk said. “An event like this is very educational and it presents information to people in a way that’s more easy to remember.”
[email protected]