At Paris Fashion Week in September, the world was gifted with Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri's "We Should All Be Feminists" T-shirt.
Then in January, New York Fashion Week, in a newly-minted Trumpian America, was littered with political messaging.
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Over the next week more than 100 designers will showcase their collections to more than 30,000 people at the Melbourne Fashion Festival, Australia's largest consumer fashion event. (Vision supplied by VAMFF)
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Over the next week more than 100 designers will showcase their collections to more than 30,000 people at the Melbourne Fashion Festival, Australia's largest consumer fashion event. (Vision supplied by VAMFF)
What most people don't know is that a model from Victoria was putting her heart – and words – on T-shirts years before Dior came to the party.
Ollie Henderson, the self-proclaimed "boss bitch" at social enterprise The House of Riot, said her shirts express the "mass frustration" people feel over issues ranging from climate change to the treatment of refugees.
"The main aim of House of Riot is to empower young people to have creative ways to express themselves politically and find their political voice," she said.
"Politics coming into this high fashion space reflects what's happening in the real world."
Educated in Ballarat, Henderson had a successful international modelling career before launching her not-for-profit company in 2014.
"I was deeply concerned about Australia's inaction on climate change and treatment of refugees and asylum seekers," she said.
Henderson's T-shirts will star in the RUSSH runway on Saturday night at the Melbourne Fashion Festival.
Festival boss Graeme Lewsey said there was a "political amplification" happening in Australian fashion.
"That uprising, that sense of achievement and that empowering positioning is a direct result of what has been brewing and being debated as a result of US politics," he said.
Dubbed the "sisterhood" show on Saturday, designers will include National Designer Award winner Kacey/Devlin, award finalist Anna Quan, Bul and KUWAII.
Henderson, 28, said she will continue to use fashion to raise political awareness for as long as House of Riot remains relevant.
"We all as individuals have a responsibility [to drive change] ... I don't think fashion is always superficial. It can have deep meaning for people, deep emotive connection and create a deep sense of identity that's really important.
"Some of it is about art and creativity and style and some of it just about selling clothes.
"It's too broad a statement to say fashion is superficial and therefore can't deal with serious issues."
Mr Lewsey said the festival is boasting the most diverse line-up of models in its 21-year history.
"It's a mindset change. It shouldn't be at the end of the process ... it's part of a global transformation," he said.
He said the festival was also building a profile for showcasing ethical and sustainable designers, such as KitX and Lois Hazel.
Mr Lewsey said the RUSSSH runway had thrown around ideas happening on the US and European runways but would interpret them in a uniquely Australian way.
"We will have the same level of mashing conversation with some political positioning," he said. "Now is the time, we are in a real world where fashion speaks volumes."
The Melbourne Fashion Festival runs until Sunday. vamff.com.au