The Off-Putting Merchandising of Mental Illness

By: Andie Horowitz

A simple statement corrupted Gucci’s fashion week show as soon as it appeared, with an impact spreading far past Milan. Ayesha Tan-Jones was one of many models hired to walk the runway— or, in this case— stand stoically with a conveyor belt pushing her along.  Along with the other models, Tan-Jones was dressed in a white straight-jacket, closely resembling a patient of a mental institution. She immediately recognized the message that the optics of this show would illustrate: an example of the fashion industry glorifying mental illness for profit. The model then proceeded to jot the five words on her hands before going on, and presented it to the crowd as she reached the stage’s focal point: MENTAL HEALTH IS NOT FASHION. Her small, yet significant action was the perfect form of rebellion, turning heads on an international scale. 

While Tan-Jones’ bravery sparked a global conversation about mental health within the fashion industry, numerous companies have been using similar marketing tactics for years. In the last decade, the glorification of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety have been made to be seen as fashionable by certain brands. Among these organizations includes popular stores such as Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 that target a younger, more vulnerable audience. For example, when analyzing their products from a mental-health conscious lens, Urban Outfitters becomes infamous for using mental illness as a marketing ploy. In one instance, in 2010 the company released a V-neck t-shirt with the expression “Eat Less” displayed across the center, turning an eating disorder into merchandise. In another case, the store sold a shirt with the word “depression” repeatedly patterned all over it, glamorizing the mental illness. Forever 21 is another business with similar marketing tactics, selling graphic tees with sayings such as “no coffee? ugh, depresso”. Other popular online shopping hubs like ban.dō offer single-word necklaces with phrases like “depression” and “anxiety”. 

By selling products like the ones previously mentioned, companies are making mental illness a fashion trend and belittling the severity of the topic matter. These products may work to push mental illness to the forefront of discussion, but in an extremely unproductive way. Instead, the merchandise does so in a problematic manner that discredits the need for better dialogue surrounding mental health. Each “anxiety” necklace and “Eat Less” t-shirt pushes vulnerable consumers to view mental illness with a distorted perception, making pejoratives out of serious, very real illnesses. 

Exploiting mental disorders for the sake of sales is both morally and ethically wrong. The influence of doing so starts at the top, where heads of the fashion industry like Gucci set the bar for which actions are acceptable and which are not. Leading brands need to do better than this by taking responsibility for the power they have within the industry. Additionally, as consumers, we have a responsibility to illustrate resistance to these acts of exploitation with powerful actions such as boycotting companies who use such tactics. The conversation needs to be kept alive, recognizing the dangers behind the glamorization of mental illness. Just as Ayesha Tan-Jones’ brave actions displayed, it’s imperative that the fashion industry promotes productive dialogue on the importance of mental health— instead of permitting the exploitation of it.