Reebok, Converse, Fabletics send brand ambassadors to March for Our Lives

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Mar 27, 2018

This past Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people protested against gun violence at March for Our Lives in Washington DC, with a number of brand ambassadors and celebrities from the fashion industry taking part and performing at the rally.

On March 25th, apparel brands joined in the March for Our Lives, sending their brand ambassadors to DC as part of the rally for legislative changes around gun control. Unlike previous protests, this one was driven by younger generations responding to the recent Parkland, FL shooting, making it an important event for brands seeking authenticity with their socially conscious consumers.

Reebok brand ambassador Ariana Grande performed in an oversized statement sweatshirt, saying to the crowd, "We're fighting for change and love and safety and for our future."

Grande made news as an activist against gun violence last year when a massacre occurred at her concert in Manchester, England.

Converse brand ambassador Miley Cyrus also performed. Nike-owned Converse has been trending towards a younger, politically active consumer such as those taking part in the event.

Demi Lovato, who has been working with Fabletics since last May, was also there, while Skechers spokeswoman Camilia Cabello was actively posting her experience on social media, activating her community of followers.

Elsewhere, Kenneth Cole also tweeted his endorsement, while Tory Burch quoted social activist Margaret Mead on her Twitter account in support of the event.

Other initiatives included an installation from Prabal Gurung who appeared to take inspiration from Patagonia's recent light activation at OR against the federal government's reduction of the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. The designer partnered with his peers to project a light installation that used the hashtag "Freedom from Fear", visible over the weekend to Manhattan's East Side.

Proenza Schouler created two PSWL graphic tees. The label is donating all proceeds of the $100 shirts to Everytown, a citizen organization devoted to gun violence prevention.

Some top industry players have also made monetary contributions to the March. Gucci, for example, donated $500,000 to the event, while Jennifer Lopez, who has a deal with Guess, reportedly sponsored buses to help protesters attend the march.

Imaging from the event counted over 200,000 protestors in attendance.