Fashion vs. Fascism - Because Democracy Should Always Be In Style

OAKLAND, Calif. - EntSun -- FVF is a visually immersive evening of fashion, music and political theater that exposes the rise of fascism in the US and the need to resist. A runway revolution premiering October 3 in Oakland, CA. Democracy is under siege, and culture is one of our most potent defenses.

Fashion has always been a mirror held up to power, celebrating individuality, challenging convention, and giving people a language for self-expression when words fall short. This fall, a collective of designers, artists, and organizers is turning that mirror on the politics of the moment with Fashion vs. Fascism (FvF), a live runway show and political theater experience premiering October 3, 2026 at the Rotunda in Oakland, California.

Part fashion show, part protest, part performance art, FvF stages five runway collections, spotlighting the pillars of contemporary fascist politics and the urgent need to resist: the myth of a "glorious past," the manufactured emergencies used to justify surveillance and crackdowns, and the oligarchs and grifters profiting from it all. Runway fashion shares the stage with political theater and live music, with a closing call to action.

More on EntSun News

• Century Fasteners de Mexico Exhibiting at the 2026 Automotive & Aerospace Nearshoring Summit
• Lovecraft In Florida Blu-Ray Release
• Retell AI White Label Platform for Agencies Launched by VoiceAIWrapper, With Branded Client Portals and No Per-Minute Markup
• Events by Dubsdread Celebrates Cultural Traditions with New Guide on Faith-Based Wedding Traditions Across Cultures
• FOCUS Names Mark Phillips Senior Vice President of Business Development

"We need lawsuits, ballots and mass protests, but none of it lands if we're not also fighting for people's imagination," says Linda Burnham, co-producer of the show. "People are exhausted and scared. Fashion vs. Fascism will expose the absurdities of fascist mythology and ideology in ways a news headline cannot, and spark new ideas about how to resist."

"Fascism doesn't win by policy alone. It wins by telling a story. A myth about a golden age. A permanent emergency that makes cruelty seem necessary. That's not an accident, it's a strategy, and it works on the same terrain as culture: image, spectacle, emotion," says Aya De León, the show's playwright.

"Every piece on this runway translates what is happening under fascism into a feeling," explains Erica Furlong, the Runway Creative Director. "One designer's trench coat is covered in pockets stamped TRUTH, MEMORY, HOPE, VOTE, FUTURE because that's literally what gets seized first, pocket by pocket, under fascist decline. Fashion can hold grief and hope in the same silhouette, and that tension is exactly what this moment needs."

More on EntSun News

• Get The Led Out Bring an Outstanding Tribute to Led Zeppelin to the Weinberg Center
• Cemetery Cinema is now available for Syndication!!!!
• Notaron Expands Online Notarization Access Following Wisconsin Approval
• Michelle Carey Releases Maryland Political Thriller, The Crofton Triangle
• Before Drake Was Drake, Detroit-Raised KayeDinero Was Already Watching Aubrey Graham

At its best, fashion is about creativity, diversity, innovation, experimentation and the free exchange of ideas. Fascism, by contrast, demands conformity and control, while suppressing dissent. Fashion vs. Fascism: because democracy should always be in style.

Featured designers include Erica Varize, Rickie Lee, Tianna Charity, Julie Wong, and Maria Flores. The evening features a script by lead playwright Aya De León, musical performances by Mindeullae Project and DJ Emancipation, and other special guests

FvF is designed to travel. Following the Oakland premiere, FvF will extend its reach through a documentary short, a curriculum on contemporary fascism in the U.S., and a full replication playbook — design templates, script, and curriculum — so organizers in other cities can stage their own version of the show.

Visit Fashion vs. Fascism for more details.