Voices make a difference

The horrific events in Ukraine have made everything else feel trivial and unimportant.

Never has the saying “life must go on” rung more hollow. And yet it must.

This isn’t the first time that fashion shows have coincided with international acts of terror, but it is the first time that designers and guests alike have engaged meaningfully with the issue of what the fashion industry can do to help the plight of those currently living through a war.

Individually, our voices are small. Collectively, they can make a difference. This is a war in which information – the sharing of it, the amplification of it – is playing a crucial part.

Whether that takes the form of British media outlets giving platforms to Ukranian designers, influencers using their clout to call their followers to action or designers showing solidarity by other means, now is not the time to stay silent. At a time when so many innocent people are in grave danger, silence feels cowardly. Speaking out keeps attention focused on the crisis.

A PR’s job is to communicate effectively: use this strength for the greater good. Pivot, as so many already have this week, even if that only means sharing a link to humanitarian aid organisations. Whether your platform is big or small, it’s something. And if you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing.