Fiona Hagan
Former White House intern turned anti-bullying activist highlights voting rights organization Vote.org in promotional images.
Monica Lewinsky for Reformation. Photo Credit: Reformation.
Lewinsky reclaims her power as a public figure in a recent campaign for popular fashion house Reformation, alongside Vote.org. In 1998, Lewinsky was vaulted into the limelight as news broke that President Bill Clinton had engaged in an affair with his intern, 22 year old Monica, sending shock waves through the nation. The aftermath of the affair led to Clinton’s eventual impeachment, as he committed perjury while denying his sexual misconduct. Since falling into infamy due to her widely publicized affair with then-president Bill Clinton, Lewinsky has taken a step back from the limelight, reemerging at last in 2014 as a social activist speaking out against cyber-bullying.
The Reformation fashion campaign and the public approval it has received represents a stark shift from the abuse Lewinsky faced from the public in the years following the scandal. Despite a clear imbalance of power between Lewinksy and Clinton, Lewinsky was forced to bear the weight of the backlash. Often being referred to as a “homewrecker” or “tart” by publications such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, she faced a special brand of demonization by the media that is so often imposed upon women.
Following her return to the public eye almost a decade ago, Lewinksy has been a strong anti-bullying advocate across social media, often referring to herself as “patient zero” of the cyberbullying phenomenon. The fashion campaign uplifts both Lewinsky and prospective buyers through chic office appropriate wear and building up customers with quotes from and about their muse. On Reformation’s website, Monica is quoted as saying, “I’m excited and grateful to be working with Reformation to remind people to register, use their voice and vote! A Ref woman is an empowered woman – and an empowered woman uses her voice.” Reformation and Lewinsky also utilized the collaboration to place a spotlight on Vote.org, a voting registration non-profit, reminding shoppers that they’ve “got the power”– a timely message leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
The collaboration between Lewinksy and the fashion house leverages the long-time advocate’s influence to project a message of feminist intersectionality and the power of women in politics. The message is also particularly relevant to the brand’s majority Gen Z audience, whose socially conscious disposition greatly affects their purchasing decisions. 63% of Gen Z buyers say that they will only support brands that stand with them on social, economic, and environmental issues, according to a 2020 study. This continuity between a buyer’s own identity and a brand’s ethos has played a large role in Sammi R., junior at the Field School’s status as a longtime fan of the fashion brand. “I’ve always found that Reformation has been mindful of sustainability and inclusivity, and that’s a big part of why I love the brand”, Sammi said.
Sammi’s support for both Reformation and Lewinsky herself were reinforced by the campaign. As a member of the brand’s younger demographic, “I have definitely heard of her, but I did not know a ton about her or what she’s been doing since she became famous. [The campaign] showed me who she was and what is important to her, mainly voting and inclusivity, and also sort of inspired me to go look into her story and Vote.org more.” While the collaboration is new, it is already serving as a point of inspiration and empowerment for consumers across generations.
Reformation themselves said it best on their site. “Monica’s been empowering women to use their voices and feel powerful for a long time. So it just makes sense that she’d help us do the same. And while great clothes won’t fix everything, putting them on and going to the polls is a pretty good place to start.”