New York Fashion Week opens with call to vote from Jill Biden

New York Fashion Week opens with call to vote from Jill Biden

US First Lady Jill Biden gives a surprise speech at a "get out the vote" march that opened New York Fashion Week, on September 6, 2024
US First Lady Jill Biden gives a surprise speech at a "get out the vote" march that opened New York Fashion Week, on September 6, 2024. Photo: Andrea RENAULT / AFP
Source: AFP

Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!

US First Lady Jill Biden called for the protection of "freedoms" Friday during a "get out the vote" march that opened New York Fashion Week.

Biden was joined by a number of high-profile US fashion designers, including Thom Browne, Michael Kors and Tory Burch.

The march was organized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) for the first day of the weeklong fashion event showcasing looks for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2025 season.

Though the event was intended to be nonpartisan, the surprise presence of the Democratic first lady -- whose appearance had not been announced -- set the tone for the event, during which she gave a speech at a park in the heart of New York City.

"I know that you care about the freedom to make your own choices, be who you are, love who you love... your freedom of creative expression," Biden said to applause from the crowd of fashion industry insiders.

Read also

AFCON 2025 Qualifiers Heat Up: Niger Takes on Ghana

"These freedoms are at risk because of court decisions, book bans, shrugs of apathy when people forget the power of the vote," she continued.

The US presidential election, set for November 5, pits Democrat Kamala Harris against Republican nominee Donald Trump. Jill Biden's husband, US President Joe Biden, had been set to be the Democratic nominee until he dropped out of the race on July 21 and threw his support behind his vice president.

"So let's remember this: the next president, your next president, will likely appoint new Supreme Court justices," the first lady said.

"Your next senators will confirm them and our children and our grandchildren will have to live with those consequences."

Prior to the march, Jill Biden attended the Ralph Lauren fashion show on Thursday evening and paid tribute to Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine and high priestess of the US fashion industry.

Read also

New French nuclear reactor enters automatic shutdown

Wintour featured Jill Biden on the cover of the magazine's August issue and has organized several fundraisers for the Democratic Party.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.