Gloria Steinem Racks Up A New First At Fashion Week

Image by Robin Marchant/Getty Images

By Talya Zax September 11, 2017

Gloria Steinem, feminist icon, was, in 1972, the first woman to speak at the National Press Club. In 1976 she attended the first of what would be a series of formational women-only Seders. That same year, Ms. Magazine, of which she was a co-founder, became the first national magazine to dedicate coverage to the subject of domestic violence.

Now, at 83 years old, Steinem has racked up yet another first, albeit a less consequential one: Her first trip to New York Fashion Week.

Steinem sat front row at Prabal Gurung’s Sunday show, alongside Huma Abedin and activist DeRay Mckesson, among others. Gurung, who two seasons ago created a Steinem-inspired show, began his show with the words, “Grant me the strength to change the things I cannot accept.”

Steinem shared a shot of herself at the show on Instagram, with the caption “There is a first time for everything, even at 83! First #nyfw show @prabalgurung, a kind man doing great work in fashion and beyond.”

There is a first time for everything, even at 83! First #nyfw show @prabalgurung, a kind man doing great work in fashion and beyond.

A post shared by Gloria Steinem (@gloriasteinem) on Sep 10, 2017 at 4:28pm PDT

Gurung, who attended his show in a shirt reading “Resist With Love,” gave the same shirt — as well as one that read “I am a Michelle” — to guests as they left. Whether the latter slogan was a comment on last week’s controversy over Michelle Obama being named to Vanity Fair’s 2017 Best Dressed List, on which current first lady Melania Trump notably did not appear, remains a matter of speculation.

Talya Zax is the Forward’s opinion editor. Contact her at [email protected] or on Twitter, @TalyaZax.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO