How Eileen Fisher's Fall 2017 Campaign Is Promoting Power in Women's Words

Eileen Fisher has a pragmatic approach to fashion. Since founding her eponymous line in 1984, she has consistently offered collections of easy, wearable pieces that defy seasonal trends. They can be mixed and matched, dressed up or down. Shawls in muted colors, flowing white shirts and earth-tone kaftans have made the brand a go-to for those that prefer a minimalist aesthetic. They aren’t flashy, or even revolutionary per se. They are clothes for the modern, everyday women—those that are assured in their style and sense of self. And to drive this point home even more, the designer has eschewed models and celebrities for its Fall 2017 campaign, instead enlisting women of all shapes and backgrounds that may not adhere to the glamorous, waifish look that has become the industry standard.

“We believe in real women. We make clothes for real women,” Fisher explained. “But this moment is bigger than the clothes women are wearing.  We want to talk about what women are doing, what we’re all trying to do together. We hope women will see themselves in this campaign and experience it as the invitation that it is intended to be: an invitation to see the power that is within them—and all around them.”

Amanda Gorman, the National Youth Poet Laureate and executive director of One Pen One Page; Nyla Rogers, the founder and CEO of Mama Hope; and Kathryn Finney, the founder of digitalundivided are just three of the eight women (including Nicole Jennings, Erikka Electra James, Colleen Saidman Yee, Carmen Gama and Fisher herself) that were shot by Abbie Trayler-Smith, a London-based photographer who has shot for Time, BBC, Oxfam, UNICEF and the International Rescue Committee. Not only are the subjects of the campaign making great strides in their own professions, but they are also advocating the rights of women and girls both locally and globally. “We chose these women because they inspired us,” Fisher said. “Each woman is using her voice to better her community and the larger world.”

The black and white studio portraits, according to Fisher, were intended to be “both simple and profound.” They are seemingly raw and unfussy, using a modest backdrop, soft lighting and very little props. More importantly, the subjects are all smiling, as if nodding to viewers that they, too, can be happy in their skins. And because “using her own voice” was essential to the campaign, the shots also feature a quote from each subject and a word that they associate with power.

“I think the end result is a testament to the diversity and beauty of powerful women and their dreams for the world,” said Rogers, whose organization trains entrepreneurs in impoverished areas across the globe in the effort to end extreme poverty. “We each get to play a part in making this world a better place, and I feel the combination of all of our words and sentiments paint the picture of the future that is possible when everyone is able to be powerful.”

“Eileen Fisher has yet again created a campaign that speaks to the everyday woman,” added Gorman, a sophomore at Harvard who confessed that her grandmother still wears pieces from the brand that is older than she is. “I'm so happy the #realpower project has come about so organically, and its power comes from the strength and compassion of the women working behind it.”

Encouraging female empowerment and advocating inclusivity has been central a issue for the fashion community ever since the results of U.S. presidential election of 2016. With plans to defund Planned Parenthood, rallies by racialist organizations and xenophobia being a cause célèbre by top political leaders, many brands have become vocal in their stance against these injustices. Runway shows and campaigns for Fall 2017 have become a virtual melting pot of cultures, using models and personalities of varying sizes and ethnicities—and, in some instances, real people. For Eileen Fisher, however, such sentiments are not as reactionary as others. Inclusivity and doing what is right socially and ethically is part of the its DNA.

“Sustainability has always been at the core of company,” said Fisher. “Our goal is simple: design without negative impact right from the start.  I often describe our work as ‘business as a movement.’ In addition to being profitable, we always ask ourselves, how can we help make a positive change in the world?”

The fact that Fisher is using individuals that promote social change in her Fall 2017 is not a flash in pan, a marketing ploy that rides the social justice wave hitting the left-leaning fashion industry. The firm has always made it its mission to cater to real women, and to change how businesses should conduct their operations. If anything, Fisher was a pioneer, and it is only now that others are starting to see the value in promoting morally just practices and images.

“I think it’s awesome that more and more brands are opening up to opportunities to feature real women who lead real lives and have real values,” said Finney, whose company digitalundivided trains and supports of Black and Latin women-led startups. “We’ve lived far too long in a society that preaches the same cookie-cutter standards of perfection that is almost unattainable except to a few blessed with really excellent genes. I’m glad that we’re moving away from this impossible aesthetics and embracing compelling authenticity instead.”

Here’s hoping that more brands follow Fisher’s pragmatic example.