Fashion Diplomacy
Young creatives across the Commonwealth explore how clothing becomes a language of identity, protest, and social change.
Fashion Diplomacy (2025-09-01) by Commonwealth Fashion CouncilCommonwealth Fashion Council
Commonwealth Fashion Education Initiative 2025
In 2025, young creatives from across the Commonwealth, supported by Caramel Rock and the Commonwealth Fashion Council, embarked on a bold journey to explore fashion’s role beyond style — as a powerful tool of diplomacy, identity, protest, and cultural reclamation.
Through their designs, they asked:
What messages do our clothes carry, and who do we become when we wear them?
This year’s theme, Fashion Diplomacy and Fashion Movements, invited students to investigate how clothing shapes political narratives, influences social change, and challenges established systems. From the symbolic power of First Ladies’ wardrobes to the rebellious spirit of slogan t-shirts, and from economic shifts reflected in style to the vital act of decolonising dress, these young voices used fashion to tell stories of resistance, unity, and transformation.
Beneath the Surface: The Politics of the Bra
What happens when a garment of support becomes a symbol of suppression? Amelia, a white-British student at Caramel Rock, interrogates the bra as both cultural artifact and emotional weight, inviting us to see it through historical, political, and personal lenses.
"Beneath the Surface: The Politics of the Bra" (2025-09-01) by Amelia TombsCommonwealth Fashion Council
Colonial Threads of Control
Amelia traces the bra’s evolution from ancient bandeaus to Dior’s 1950s ideals, showing how Western beauty standards spread through colonial influence. Linking this to India’s 19th-century “breast tax,” she questions the West’s power over women’s bodies and cultural identity.
“A bra is more than just a garment — it’s a complex cultural artifact. By deconstructing it, I found freedom.” — Amelia Tombs
Bound Yet Unbroken
Amelia reshapes donated bras into a corset of knots and straps, symbolizing the pull between restriction and and freedom. Hanging bands evoke societal weight, while knots reflect shared struggle. The piece stands as both protest and tribute—pain, resilience, and reclamation.
"Miss Stonewall: Fashion as Survival" (2025-09-01) by Astrid NorrisCommonwealth Fashion Council
Miss Stonewall: Fashion as Survival
For Astrid, fashion is survival, pride, and authenticity. In Miss Stonewall, she draws from queer history, ballroom culture, and icons like Marsha P. Johnson to show clothing as lifeline and resistance—reviving the joy, courage, and defiance of a marginalized community.
"Miss Stonewall: Fashion as Survival" (2025-09-01) by Astrid NorrisCommonwealth Fashion Council
Visibility as Power
Astrid’s collection challenges transphobia, reclaims visibility, and affirms queer existence as part of our shared story. Honoring the 1980s ballroom scene, she shows how fashion, dance, and performance became powerful acts of self-expression, community, and pride.
Wearing Identity
At the heart of her piece is a handcrafted crown, adorned with vintage beads and trans flag colors, symbolizing survival, celebration, and visibility. “Fashion lets me define my femininity on my own terms. It helps me feel real — and proud.” — Astrid Norris
"Threads of Peace: Fashion as Diplomacy" (2025-09-01) by Ayesha NawazCommonwealth Fashion Council
Threads of Peace: Fashion as Diplomacy
Can fashion carry the weight of peace? In Threads of Peace, Ayesha reimagines diplomatic dressing as art—honouring memory, building bridges, and reflecting how fashion can embody unity, respect, and cross-cultural dialogue, inspired by Diana and Catherine’s wardrobes.
Bridging Cultures Through Fashion
Her three-piece collection draws from the 1996 and 2019 royal visits to Pakistan, exploring how both Diana and Kate used clothing to reflect admiration for local customs and promote cross-cultural dialogue.
Embroidery for Unity
“This collection isn’t just clothing — it’s a message,” says Ayesha Nawaz. Her silk-lined pieces honour South Asian textile traditions, using embroidery, silhouette, and symbolism as a quiet yet powerful expression of fashion diplomacy, advocating peace and mutual respect.
"Woven Resistance: A Decolonial Statement in Beads and Fabric" (2025-09-01) by Hellen AndetsionCommonwealth Fashion Council
Woven Resistance: A Decolonial Statement in Beads and Fabric
In Woven Resistance, Hellen Andetsion rejects trend for legacy and protest. Using discarded African prints and beads, she creates multi-wearable accessories celebrating African identity, ancestral rhythms, and meaning—green for growth, yellow for tradition, black for strength.
Honouring Heritage
Hellen’s hands-on process—sourcing scraps, draping, and hand-sewing—fuses craft with symbolism. Even remnants become handbags and book covers, challenging fast fashion. Woven Resistance honours African culture, ancestral wisdom, and a fashion future rooted in community.
"Threads of Expression: Inspired by Alexander McQueen" (2025-09-01) by Joyce Micheline MafoloCommonwealth Fashion Council
Threads of Expression: Inspired by Alexander McQueen
What if fashion could speak louder than words? Joyce Micheline Mafolo explores Alexander McQueen’s legacy—his theatrical shows, artful storytelling, challenge to beauty standards, and promotion of diversity and mental health—as she shapes her own bold, expressive designer voice.
"Threads of Expression: Inspired by Alexander McQueen" (2025-09-01) by Joyce Micheline MafoloCommonwealth Fashion Council
Designing Courage
Through mood boards and sketches, Joyce channels McQueen’s emotional intensity, exploring identity, visibility, and fashion’s power to provoke. Her final designs celebrate his legacy and her awakening, showing that fashion education is about courage, curiosity, and connection.
"Between Warri and Vienna: A Journey Through Place and Identity" (2025-09-01) by Juliana OhwakoCommonwealth Fashion Council
Between Warri & Vienna: A Journey of Place and Identity
What does it mean to carry the spirit of two cities in creativity? Juliana Ohwako reflects on her journey from Warri to Vienna, blending cultures in yellow-and-blue skirts and delicately patterned shirts, where precision and craftsmanship tell a story of fusion.
"Between Warri and Vienna: A Journey Through Place and Identity" (2025-09-01) by Juliana OhwakoCommonwealth Fashion Council
Cross-Cultural Dialogue: Warri to Vienna
Juliana’s moodboard journal blends Warri’s vibrant traditions with Vienna’s elegance, showing how migration shapes identity and fashion. “Living in Vienna opened my eyes. Warri gave me roots. Together, they shape my designs.” Her collection celebrates cross-cultural dialogue.
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