Of all the black looks to walk down the red carpet at the 2018 Golden Globes, Connie Britton‘s was arguably the most statement-making.
As part of the Time’s Up-backed black-out, the actress wore a Max Mara ballgown skirt with a Lingua Franca sweater to the ceremony. As with all of the latter label’s signature knits, it was embroidered with a phrase across the front; Britton’s read: “Poverty is sexist.”
PHOTO: Kevork Djansezian/NBC
When images emerged on Twitter of Britton wearing the Lingua Franca sweater without context, many were confused by the sentiment. Go through Twitter, and you’ll find people wondering what she could’ve meant by it and whether it was just another slogan slapped onto a shirt. Then, when the style was attributed back to Lingua Franca (the embroidered script being pretty recognizable), some characterized it as contradictory or even hypocritical, as most of the brand’s products carry three-figure price tags. But a crucial detail was missing in the equation: “Poverty is sexist” is the name of one of ONE Campaign‘s gender equality initiatives, which Britton has been supporting for a while—and the sweater was made by Lingua Franca at the request of the organization.
“The phrase was inspired by ONE Campaigns ‘Poverty is sexist’ initiative, which aims to break down the barriers holding girls and women back as part of broader efforts to end extreme poverty,” Rachelle Hruska MacPherson, founder of Lingua Franca, tells Glamour over email. “We’re so honored and proud to be standing in solidarity with so many incredible women, both on the red carpet and everywhere.”
ONE Campaign requested that Lingua Franca make a sweater with the name of its campaign to give as a gift to Britton, she explains. The brand has received inquiries about recreating the sweater post-Globes (anyone can order a custom style via email), and will be donating $100 of each purchase (each sweater usually goes for around $380) to the Campaign for Female Education, “in support of their work ensuring women and girls get the education they deserve.”
The price tag was highly scrutinized in the aftermath of the Golden Globes. “The response [to Britton’s sweater] has been largely positive but we’ve definitely had some negative comments—more about the price than the actual saying,” Hruska says. However, as soon as there were detractors on social media, there were just as many folks responding to set the record straight on the brand’s ethical practices: Though the price can feel prohibitive to many, it’s due to Lingua Franca’s commitment to paying their workers fair wages, sourcing responsibly, and giving back to charitable causes. (Plus, Britton and Lingua Franca found supporters in Sally Kohn, the National Women’s Law Center, who backed up the sweater’s statement.)
“We never set out to make mass products for low- or mid-level pricing (fast fashion),” Hruska explains. “That’s just not us. We stitch everything by hand on luxury cashmere (sourced ethically, using clean energy and fair trade) and care deeply about paying all of our employees and our embroiderers (who all work locally in NYC) a living wage. We also care about our brand as a platform for creating dialogue and inspiring change, not selling tons of sweaters.”
Britton, too, went on the record to clear up any lingering questions about her Golden Globes look.
This won’t be the last time you see Lingua Franca involved with conversations of gender equality in Hollywood. The brand created two sweaters partnership with Time’s Up—a collaboration that actually came through Instagram. After posting a picture one of its knits with embroidery reading “Time’s Up” on its social channels, Hruska says that “Reese [Witherspoon] contacted me through a friend to request them for her executive team.” Lingua Franca then decided to produce them “as a fundraiser for the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, to which we donate $100 of each sale.”
PHOTO: Lingua Franca
The Lingua Franca x Time’s Up collection already has some pretty famous fans: Meryl Streep wore one the pieces on Ellen.
PHOTO: NBC
Not a bad endorsement.
More:
Female Democrats Are Planning to Wear Black to Trump’s State of the Union Address
How Designers, Stylists, and Fashion Critics Responded to the 2018 Golden Globes Blackout
Actresses Explain What Wearing Black to the 2018 Golden Globes Means to Them
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