Did Tommy Cash appropriate homeless culture?

There is a fine line between fashion and costume. During every fashion month, this line tends to get crossed. A scandalous look might be getting you the likes and comments on social media, but what are the ethics behind it? Remember the lion dress worn by Kylie Jenner to that Schiaparelli show? It divided the internet like Marmite, Brexit or football teams. This fashion show season, drawing the public's attention was rapper Tommy Cash, who cosplayed as a homeless person.  

At first glance, his outfit might seem incredibly tone-deaf and tacky. Dressing in a controversial outfit will always get attention, which is a big reason why high-profile celebrities attend fashion shows – at the end of the day, any press is good press. According to Cash himself, he didn’t wear the outfit to cause a stir, he wanted to raise awareness. «Homelessness is a massive issue worldwide, and even in the wealthiest countries like the United States, a significant population struggles to afford basic necessities and decent clothing,» he said. Afterwards, he also criticised the approach of the fashion industry towards «homeless chic» as he calls it – baggy clothes have been trendy for years, especially in high fashion. Remember Vetements, the brand that used to criticise power structures by functioning as a mirror to the wider hype-obsessed society? They obviously did not introduce baggy clothing as a trend, they might have carved an aesthetic into it, but most certainly, they demonstrated the occasion when baggy or ill-fitted clothing is cool. It’s only cool if it’s a choice.

Someone who wears baggy luxury clothing does this because they have the choice to. But if someone is forced to wear baggy clothing because nothing else is around, the coolness factor fades away. «What distinguishes homeless people’s clothing choices is rooted in practicality, availability, affordability and comfort, while those who adopt the “homeless chic” look do so for vanity and status, often investing in expensive items,» Tommy adds. Fashion is an industry based on consumerism, and if there is a potential trend, luxury brands are the quickest ones to jump on it. When Heroin Chic was slightly thrown in the room again, a lot of people pointed out how similar this aesthetic is to the thin models at the French luxury house Celine, for example. And then again, when workwear became cool, Vetements jumped right onto it. Maybe Tommy Cash’s or anyone else’s look isn’t the problem, maybe the system is. Or, even a wilder thought – maybe mirroring the industry is a problem itself.

During fashion week, some people engineer an outfit in order to impress. They want the clicks, the comments, the momentary fame. Fashion shows are a spectacle even for the guests sitting front row – some come to see and others turn up to be seen. Before the show starts, you can hear whispers, wondering who will have the most daring look, or who will wow us again and go viral on social media. The meat dress by Alexander McQueen that Lady Gaga once wore is on the mood board of everyone who wants to cause a stir in the front row – they don’t want to impress, they want to start a conversation. As it seems, being a topic of conversation has taken the upper hand. Who cares about looking at clothes when everyone could be talking about you? In the fashion industry, everyone constantly thinks about how they could reach a wider audience. And if that requires showing up in a controversial outfit, some happily do it. Others may use the show as a pedestal to raise issues and communicate this visually in their outfits. Fashion is one big bubble, and maybe it should learn to consider the world outside of it. There are clearly some issues bigger than status or fame out there.