Julia Fox has been questioned over her decision to walk in Alexander Wang's latest New York Fashion Week show.
The actress was cast in Alexander Wang's first NYFW since 2019 – also the first since he was accused of sexual assault by 11 men and transgender women in 2020. He initially denied the allegations, referring to them as “baseless”, before releasing a statement which read: “I regret acting in a way that caused them pain. While we disagree on some of the details… I will set a better example.”
Wang's comeback show was a Cupid-style "celebration of romance," according to the official show notes, which included Fox walking a heart-shaped runway wearing a sheer, nude mesh dress, layered with an oversized black blazer.
Many people have taken to express their disappointment that Fox chose to participate in the show – especially given her public support for Amber Heard, who was widely maligned during Johnny Depp's defamation trial against her.
One person tweeted, “Julia Fox walking for Alexander Wang literally goes against everything she stands for, and it’s annoying how she keeps supporting him constantly [sic].”
A Julia Fox fan account shared a screenshot that appeared to show Fox defending her decision, replying to a TikTok with the comment: “2 b frank I love cancel culture but we do need to leave room for rehabilitation & for those who put in the work & heal & learn from their mistakes.” GLAMOUR could not verify if Fox commented this and has contacted her team.
The discourse has reignited criticism of the fashion industry at large, namely, that it's ill-equipped to deal with serious allegations of designers' sexual misconduct.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, over 50 models spoke to Boston Globe Spotlight Team about a culture of sexual harassment within the fashion industry. These models – mostly women but some men – made “credible allegations of sexual misconduct against at least 25 photographers, agents, stylists, casting directors, and other industry professionals.”
The industry pledged changes to create a safer environment for models within the industry. For example, LVMH and Kering — responsible for major luxury brands including Fendi, Gucci and Dior — created a new ‘model charter,’ which recommended additional safeguarding mechanisms for models under 18, as well as requiring mechanisms for models to make direct complaints about alleged misconduct.
However, in September 2021, the Evening Standard reported that some industry insiders felt the pledges were largely “PR moves,” with some calling for an independent regulatory body to hold brands accountable.
Inevitably, the movement struggled to deliver.
Thousands of small decisions had to be made by hundreds of people for Wang's show to go ahead, from event logistics, such as preparing the venue and choreography, to the event's marketing, such as securing press coverage and coordinating the front-row guest list.
Casting models is only one area of organising a fashion show – if all models were expected to only work with designers aligned with their values, most would be out of the job. But then again, Julia Fox isn't most models.
Fox has been praised for her unfiltered responses to societal issues, from calling out “anti-ageing” products to unequivocally supporting Amber Heard, telling Emily Ratajkowski, “I did have to say something, because if it could happen to Amber Heard, who is a white, blonde, beautiful, successful actress – because people say that she had no career before, but she did – none of us are safe.”
We understandably have high expectations of people in the public eye whose values appear to align with our own. In this instance, Fox has apparently made a decision that betrays these values, which is hard to grapple with.
But if we can be sure of one thing, the problem of dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct in the fashion industry goes way beyond Julia Fox – perhaps our criticisms should reflect that.
GLAMOUR has reached out to Julia Fox for comment. This article will be kept updated.
For more information about reporting and recovering from rape and sexual abuse, you can contact Rape Crisis.
If you have been sexually assaulted, you can find your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre here. You can also find support at your local GP, voluntary organisations such as Rape Crisis, Women's Aid, and Victim Support, and you can report it to the police (if you choose) here.
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
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