#MeToo Movement Makes Its Way Into the Fashion Industry

The Back Story of the #MeToo Movement

Although we are only four months into the year, 2018 has already been colored by the powerful anti-sexual assault, social media movement known as “Me too.” 

Originally coined in 2006 by sexual assault survivor Tarana Burke, a tweet by actress Alyssa Milano in October of 2017 sparked a massive wave in campaign participation and awareness.  

The initial purpose of this movement was to bring awareness to the sheer number of people affected by sexual abuse by uniting survivors through the use of the Twitter hashtag “#MeToo.” Shortly after Milano’s tweet was published, this hashtag began rapidly trending on Twitter, where it was then quick to spread onto other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. 

Within a matter of weeks, #MeToo had become much bigger than anyone could have originally predicted. Now, too big to exclusively contain within the bounds of social media, hundreds of thousands of voices began inspiring people offline to share their experiences with sexual abuse. Soon after this explosion in participation, it became clear that the next big stop on the movement’s journey was Hollywood. 

By mid-Fall 2017, dozens of actors, directors, producers and other influential personnel within the entertainment industry had been exposed as perpetrators of sexual misconduct. Allegations against other public figures also ensued, bringing to light many athletes, politicians, news anchors and other trusted persons who had established a clear culture of abuse across a multitude of industries. 

By Jan. 2018, a need for change was evident. Not only was the #MeToo movement stronger than ever, the birth of a new movement was also inspired. “Times Up” was launched through the collaboration of hundreds of women working in Hollywood and was designed to serve as an anti-harassment alliance dedicated to cultural change.  

The #MeToo Movement Enters the Fashion Industry 

Amongst the slew of exposing sexual assault allegations circulating in late 2017, the fashion industry seemed to go surprisingly untouched by the #MeToo movement as its intensity remained focused on Hollywood. Untouched that is, until one Instagram account, @ShitModelMgmt, unknowingly unleashed the stories of hundreds of young women who had suffered from sexual misconduct and assault within the fashion industry. 

After innocently requesting some juicy gossip stories from her Instagram followers, the account moderator was shocked to receive an onslaught of messages from women detailing their graphic experiences with numerous photographers, designers, companies and agents abusing their power within the industry. 

After sharing many of these disturbing stories, the previously established hashtag “#MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse,” gained popularity. This hashtag was originally created by model Cameron Russell as a way to expose the massive issue of sexual assault within the fashion industry. Currently, this hashtag has almost 1,000 posts on Instagram. 

Additionally, many fashion-related Instagram accounts have followed in @ShitModelMgmt’s footsteps by diligently sharing the stories of their followers. Some of these accounts include @FashionAssistants, @DietMadisonAve and many others.  Overall, these various efforts had all made significant contributions in attacking the very institutions that support sexual abuse culture. At Her Campus, we encourage all sexual abuse survivors to seek counseling and support for themselves as soon as possible. We also applaud all individuals willing to share their experiences and fight against the corruption that affects so many women and men on a daily basis. 

For more information on the #MeToo movement, click here.

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