Drug-Culture in Fashion: An Addiction?

When one speaks of an addiction, it is usually to refer to a cycle of indulgence in noxious behavior, or, in other terms, a pattern of choices that might harm and eventually destroy something or someone. That said, drugs and vices, more often than not, are the ones from which addictions originate, being seen by most as a threat to society. With that in mind, it is imperative to notice how, over the decades, the fashion industry has been known to associate with drug-culture; be it through designs, photography or some of its most known icons.

Therefore, should this occasional alliance be perceived as an addiction? And if so, who exactly is it harming?

Well, much has been said about how the Fashion Industry has glamourized and romanticized the use of drugs; and this statement might not be without reason, either. Afterall, from Kate Moss’ “heroin chic” and Andrew Groves’ “Cocaine Nights” in the nineties, to Alexander Wang’s fall 2016 collection – described by vogue as having “stoner-chic vibes” [1]  –, the use of drug symbols would  somehow always be aligned with some of fashion’s most famous artists, in and out of the catwalk.

This aspect of fashion has been criticized in the past, to the point where people even thought there should be a repression of drug-culture.

That said, shouldn’t the industry be allowed to align itself with what it desired?

The Fashion Industry mostly integrates the realms of private Law – one that governs the relations between individuals; be it citizens or companies –, and in consequence should be ruled by the principle of freedom; freedom of action, freedom of choice, freedom of expression. With that in mind, the thought of fashion being dictated and constricted in face of the State’s interests seems unacceptable. Consequently, any form of legal reprimand could be perceived as a direct attack to one’s freedom of expression.

Despite that, it is undeniable that the romanticizing and glamourizing of illicit drugs through fashion might become a public issue if ignored, for a considerable amount of people fall victim to addiction every day, and regardless of a company’s intention, their actions might trigger and influence.

Once the context of Brazil – a Country whose incarceration rates concerning drug trafficking and abuse are troublingly high, reflecting over 29% of the entire imprisoned population[2]  – is analyzed, one cannot ignore that it is a direct public interest that the abuse of drugs be discouraged and minimized. That being said, opinions diverge when it comes to the existence of a need of Fashion to be censured in the name this goal, and whether or not the use of drug-symbols in design would be an “enticement”; which in and of itself is legibly illicit in Brazil’s drug legislation.

Likewise, France’s National Drug Policy forbids the incitement to drug use; and if disrespected, the offense is punishable by five years in prison and a fine up to 500,000 F (article L3421-4 of the Code of Public Health) [3]. Needless to say, it is a serious penalty. In addition to it, on September of 2020, there was an implementation of a new measure, allowing police officers to issue fines to whoever was caught in possession of small amounts of some kinds of drugs; showing that, in no way, is the country stepping towards decriminalization, instead deciding to take a more strict course of action.

It is easy to see, then, that as the arts — fashion included — grow more liberated overtime, States’ have been struggling to exert authority over their population; harshening penalties and restricting conduct as an attempt of maintaining order.

And in terms of their intervention’s efficiency, as much as it can be argued that not every written law is properly enforced or implemented, in 2015, three people were arrested in São Paulo, Brazil, for the marijuana print of their clothes, which was said to be a direct disrespect to article 33, §2º of Brazilian’s anti-drug act (Law 11.342, of 2006) [4]. About that, the police chief in charge argued that even though the freedom of expression guaranteed people’s right to debate and manifest their personal opinions regarding the theme, it did not give anyone the right to “step outside wearing clothes that incentivize drug abuse” [5].

The arrests were widely criticized, but they still happened. Therefore, yes, perhaps not everyone wearing drug-related prints is penalized for them, but there are still people who interpret such things as a form of guiding others towards the illicit; not a form of expression, but a punishable breaking of the law.

In other words, drug-culture in fashion might not always be framed as a legal infraction, but the broad interpretation of laws can make it into a liability for whoever plans on manifesting their preferences through clothing. Hence, the State’s intervention in fashion when it comes to drugs might be less effective than a portion of society would have preferred, but it is still there, making its presence known through cases such as the ones mentioned.

Not only that, but some clothing brands are now apparently being associated with drug-culture by police officers. As a matter of fact, police officer Jermaine Calloway has toured the United States warning fellow officers that they should start taking notice of specific brands when in search of illegal drugs on motorists. Among said brands, he mentioned “Aperture”, whose designs allegedly offer hidden “stash spots” inside sweatbands of a few of its hats’ models[6].

Once again, it is understandable that officials would try to find ways to adapt and better their work when it comes to stopping drug trafficking. One might find it noble, even. But achieving said goal through the targeting of brands might be more problematic than it is helpful in the long run, possibly even contributing to wrongful arrests based solely on prejudice.

Aperture[7] is a brand that sells snowboard clothing, and it would be bold to assume that the “hidden” features offered by its designs were intended to facilitate the use of drugs instead of helping athletes. With that in mind, what will happen to their business once their customers start being framed for merely wearing their clothes?

That said, even if the hypothetical example of a brand altering its designs to enable the use of drugs might be worth the attention of law enforcers, that is not where criticism is more often directed at. A brand designing clothes with the purpose of helping drug users is not the same as a company suffering backlash from the indirect – or even direct – use of drug-symbols in print or design.

An example of that difference is Jeremy Scott’s spring 2017 collection for Moschino. Said collection that was influenced by the novel “Valley of the Dolls”; a notorious literary work that uses the term “dolls” as a substitute for “pills”. Due to the designer’s history, opinions on the designs were discrepant, but even then, Moschino was, once again, condemned for its choices.

In reality, throughout the years, the company has had its fair share of reprimanded, but it is unwise to forget how – much like Pop Art, a movement that is perceived as superficial by those who lack understanding – many of Moschino’s collections have hidden social criticism behind bold and fun themes; being not an instigator, but a reflection of society.

Jeremy Scott, the creative director and fashion designer responsible for some of the brand’s most notorious collections, has been said to revive Moschino, bringing sales up to 10 times what it was before he was hired, as mentioned by Michelle Stein, to the New York Times[8]. His inspiration for such contradictory fashion statements?  “American consumer culture” [9].

And if that is the case, perhaps his infamous “capsule collection” – one that was vastly condemned – should not have been the main target of everyone’s offense, but instead a reminder that this is still what consumers relate to, though it is not often spoken about in the way that it should be.

Society consumed Scott’s “capsule collection”, it might have even consumed Aperture’s products for the wrong reasons, but why should the fashion industry be blamed for a problem that clearly goes beyond it? The State is correct in trying to suppress the violence with which drug abuse surrounds itself, but its efforts to do so should not be directed at prints, patterns and hidden features in athletic clothing.

In conclusion, one cannot say that the Fashion Industry in general – and more specifically the use of drug-symbols in clothing designs – incites drug abuse and should, therefore, be censured. It is not an addiction, as it isn’t hurting anyone, but instead offering a chance for people to express positions that had already been made. Fashion is a business with notorious relevance to the economy, and as such, companies should be aware of their own social responsibility, but the choice to take illicit drugs as an inspiration should still be ultimately theirs.

References:

[1] Carlos, M. (2016). Alexander Wang Did Stoner Chic, Right Down to the Shoes. Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/article/alexander-wang-shoes-stoner-chic-wallabees

[2] Levantamento Nacional de Informações Penitenciárias. Availabe at: https://www.gov.br/depen/pt-br/sisdepen

[3] Code of Public Health, 2007 (FR). Available at: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000006688178/

[4] Anti-Drug Act, 2006 (BR). Available at: http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2004-2006/2006/lei/l11343.htm

[5] (2015). Delegado explica que uso de roupas com símbolo de drogas é crime. G1. Availabe at: http://g1.globo.com/sp/bauru-marilia/noticia/2015/01/delegado-explica-que-uso-de-roupas-com-simbolo-de-droga-e-crime.html

[6] Smith, J. S. (2019). 4 clothing brands police associate with the drug culture as they stop motorists. M Live. Available at: https://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/2014/03/police_officers_being_taught_t.html

[7] https://www.zumiez.com/brands/aperture.html

[8] Trebay, G. (2015). At Moschino, Jeremy Scott Lightens Things Up. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/fashion/mens-style/at-moschino-jeremy-scott-lightens-things-up.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1

[9] Widdicombe, L. (2016). How Jeremy Scott remade Moschino for the Instagram era. The New Yorker. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/21/jeremy-scotts-new-moschino