Dior's slogan T-shirt ensemble is Fashion Museum Bath's Dress of the Year 2017

Whether as a form of protest against social injustices or for raising awareness on special issues, T-shirts with messages and slogans have long been a favourite way for expressing one's opinions and beliefs.

As high-profile sexual harassment scandals around the world continue to make headlines, and women's role in today's society is evolving, it is very apt that UK’s prestigious Fashion Museum Bath (in the historical Roman town of Bath in Somerset) has named an ensemble from Christian Dior’s spring/summer 2017 collection, featuring a white  T-shirt with the slogan‘We Should All Be Feminists’ as its Dress of the Year 2017.  Traditionally chosen by a respected member of the fashion industry, this year's choice was selected by Sarah Bailey of Red Magazine.

An ensemble featuring a white T-shirt printed with slogan 'We Should All Be Feminists’ is selected as Dress of the Year 2017 at Fashion Museum Bath.  To complete the ensemble is a black wool jacket and black tulle skirt
and also a black knitted underwear.
Image from Fashion Museum Bath.

“I think a T-shirt, because it is so basic, is the easiest way to display your ideas. The slogan ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ takes over this blank space and plays with the political value of appearances,” said Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri who added she was honoured that her designs had been selected.

Paired with the T-shirt to complete the ensemble is a black wool jacket and black tulle skirt and also a black knitted underwear. 

Miss Bailey, Hearst Lifestyle group’s editorial director, explained: “I was very inspired by the appointment of Maria Grazia Chiuri at Christian Dior. She is the first female Creative Director in the history of the house and I admired the vigour with which she immediately started challenging the conversation around women, creativity and the gendering of genius. Her social media campaign (before we even saw any of her designs) #TheWomenBehindMyDress – heroing the petits mains in the Dior atelier – was brilliant, moving and completely on point.

The late Monsieur Christian Dior would be pleased as he helped to launch the Fashion Museum by allowing his first collection to be brought to England to be shown for the museum's benefit at the Savoy Hotel in London in April 1950.  

Councillor Paul Myers, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration, said: “The ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ T-shirt ensemble is one of the most talked about fashions of 2017, by Maria Grazia Chiuri, in Dior’s 70th anniversary year. What a wonderful addition to the outstanding museum collection of historical and contemporary dress at Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Fashion Museum. We are most grateful to Sarah Bailey for her careful consideration and for making such an inspired selection for Dress of the Year 2017. Thank you too to Dior for so generously donating the ensemble to the Fashion Museum.”

The Dress of the Year Collection at the Fashion Museum began in 1963, when the museum was founded as the Museum of Costume. Since then, a leading commentator and expert on fashion has been invited each year to select an ensemble, or ensembles, from those shown by the world’s designers during international fashion weeks.

Fashion Museum Bath '2016 Dress of the year' by JW Anderson for Loewe.
Photo © Lucia Carpio 2017.

.

Fashion Museum Bath's 2016 Dress of the Year was an ensemble by JW Anderson.  It comprises a cream mohair tweed knitted dress with a leather bustier that Jonathan Anderson designed for Loewe.  which came complete with a menswear ensemble.

© Lucia Carpio 2017

The Dress of the Year 2017 will be on display at the Fashion Museum Bath until January 1, 2019. It will be the 100th object in the Museum’s A History of Fashion in 100 Objects exhibition.