Vivienne Westwood's men's collections are no longer just about trends and styles, but increasingly each season as a platform for her socially responsible message. The theme of her Spring/Summer 2016 men's collection, unveiled in Milan on the 22nd, was the "Politicians are Criminals Campaign." While many so-called fashion journalists are probably aware of this (and it's a problem if they don't), true journalism doesn't exist in the fashion media, which is closely tied to PR. Criticism exists, but it's not as necessary in today's social media landscape. For the past few seasons, Vivienne has taken advantage of this and used her men's collections as a platform for social activism. While this is a legitimate approach in the punk ethos of fashion as a means of self-expression, her consistent and clear communication, not from the perspective of the wearer, is unparalleled. It's unclear how this ties into her business mindset, though. If I had to describe this season's trends, iconic items included lacey and punky knitwear. Earthy color palettes, primitive knitwear, silk fabrics with photo collage prints, skinny tights, and ultra-wide-waisted pants were prominent, along with polar opposites. While genderlessness was strengthening, effortless pieces also made an appearance, resulting in a collection comprised of a wide range of items.

As a media outlet that covered the collection, I've included the full text of her signed press release below. Since online media has no character limit, there's no point in not including it. Not including it means self-censorship, which is perhaps the game she's talking about.

(The following is the original text of the press release, translated into Japanese)

Politicians are criminals. Let's say "criminals" out loud. Let's keep saying it until it becomes second nature.

This will raise awareness of the crisis we face. These "criminals" are causing global warming.
That would mean the massive destruction of Earth's ecosystems, including our own. It would soon get out of control. And it would happen quickly.
Politics has been taken over by criminals. Politicians! Let's call them "criminals."
This campaign will ask the public to decide who the real politicians are. We will respectfully call them politicians.
The criminals are playing a game with big monopolies and central banks. We are the pawns. They call us the rest. We are disposable. To them, it's profit, not people.
They are above the law and can bend the rules at will. In recent years, our human rights have been rapidly eroding.
The mainstream media is helping politicians deceive us. For example, they make it seem like accepting austerity measures leads to savings, so people think they are saving. But austerity measures simply transfer wealth from the poor to the rich.
The criminals have shown us their hand, and they are very happy about their criminal status. I never thought they would be so sure of victory, but their current interest is a perfect combination of monopolies and banks. And the banks are designed to win.
If you don't know already, look up on the internet about the criminal manipulation of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). It would give mega-monopolies the right to destroy the planet. No one can stop them. Our freedom would be lost forever.
Two Games for You
Roulette: The dealer is the Joker, representing the mainstream media. What is he offering us? According to this game played by criminals, mega-corporations, and banks, we have no choice. They are all the same kind of people.
Checkers/Annihilation: There is no one but the Faceless Devil, i.e., the central banks. If this game keeps transferring money from the poor to the rich, in the end all that will be left is the Faceless Devil. There will be no markets left to exploit. Fight to win! To learn more about how central banks conduct monetary policy and control the world, visit www.climaterevolution.co.uk. Text: Tatsuya Noda, Editorial Advisor, Fashion Headline