RUNWAY: Ports 1961 SS18

Milan Vukmirovic, Ports 1961's men's designer, offered ornate patterns for his SS18 collection that was inspired by African architecture and fashion. Positive messages of love and inclusivity were shown throughout, a nice touch since June is LGBTQ Pride month. Meanwhile, the diverse cast wearing these ornately patterned clothes, some offering studs and rivets to add a hard edge, is always nice to see in Milan, has been quite good with adding a broader array of models from all backgrounds. Though his intention was good, one particular message on a sweater, "All Colors Matters", felt daft and seemed akin the "All Lives Matter" message which, inherently, ignores the message behind "Black Lives Matters": not that black lives matter more but because of institutional racism, black lives are treated with less respect than those of other skin colors and so the message behind BLM is that "we matter too" and this particular sweater with that message seemed to miss the point entirely.