Fashion & Politics Join Forces At The ERA Coalition and KZ_K Studio NYFW Fundraiser

Fashion and politics join hands to discuss the pay gap, fashion politics, and equal rights in any industry at the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Coalition event hosted in partnership with luxury New York City-based brand KZ_K Studio by Polish female designer Karolina Zmarlak. The goal is to raise funds and awareness for the Coalition and the importance of pushing through the amendment, which reads simply, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Discover more with Resident about ERA’s ethos, KZ_K Studio brand, and how you can take action to make a difference.

The ERA coalition is composed of over 300 partners, even now including labour unions for the first time since the movement has started, all with the same goal: to pass the Equal Rights Amendment that was introduced over 100 years ago. During the introductory portion of the fundraiser that provided background on the group and its goals, ERA Coalition president Zakiya Thomas urged, “people have realized they need the security that would come with secured equal rights. Dobbs (vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision which ruled in 2022 via the Supreme Court to take away the constitutional right to abortions) was a wake up call for many that the government can take rights away from you, including a woman’s right to choose.” 

Former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, another panel speaker at the ERA Coalition and KZ_K event and a figure actively spearheading alongside Thomas for the movement, intoned to attendees at the fundraiser that “a country that does not allow women to make their own decisions about their healthcare…is not even a democracy.” The event was attended by people from varied backgrounds and all walks of life, both men and women from industries both in fashion and in politics and beyond. The panel was comprised entirely of female speakers, hosted at the new KZ_K Studio design space on Great Jones Street, and led in spirited discussion by a fashion writer at the popular online fashion magazine Fashionista, Andrea Bossi.

Attendees learned from the panel the current state of politics and fashion for where the ERA currently stands, and what the ERA Coalition has done so far in its goal to push this amendment through as a ratified addition to the Constitution. The discussion also covered how we can help, educating listeners on next steps, current aims, recent news events, and resources available such as petitions and sites built to show support for fundraising for the ERA and ERA Coalition team.

Many attendees of the evening were shocked to learn the Equal Rights Amendment has been in progress as an official addition to the Constitution for over one hundred years, and still to date has not yet been fully ratified as a legal addendum. The blunt simplicity of the Amendment rang heavily around the room as Thomas recited in full the ERA which the Coalition and other groups have been fighting uphill to pass for over a century now: “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” 

As for the fashion industry, co-founder of KZ_K Studio and creative director Karolina Zmarlak noted that the ERA relates heavily to fashion and how decisions are made when women are not upheld equally by legal rights or in business rooms. “Profit conversations and other conversations (concerning only men) are not as mindful as if women were in those (top business) positions. These discussions become a darker road to travel than if women were touching upon these topics, including sustainability and other issues,” Zmarlak explained. Andrea Bossi, writer and kindred fashion industry worker agreed, nodding her head as she reinforced that gender gaps or lack of diversity in a room “guides how companies are led.” Forbes, trusted financial industry source, backed this assertion through research around the Equal Pay Day concept. Equal Pay Day details which day of the following year a woman would need to work until in ordeer to earn the same amount of money as a man earned in the previous year’s annual salary, to close the gender inequality gap. 

Maggie McGrath, editor at Forbes Women, broke the numbers down for attendees in simple terms: “The median annual pay in the United States is $53,000. There is an $8,500 gap between what women make and what men make at the same level. Invested at 6-8% annually, at the end of multiple decades, (this discrepancy) is a retirement income. It’s generational wealth.” She also noted the differences in pay that exist for women of various ethnic backgrounds as an additional limiting factor and amplifying facet of inequality. A guest chimed in, “equal pay is equal capital,” and the room agreed that “everyone responds to financials” when McGrath mused how the Coalition and supporters can garner more attention to lobby support for the ERA. “Women get only 2% out of all venture funding… There is not a lack of female founders,” McGrath states flatly. “There is a lack of check writers.” When not enough women are making investment decisions, companies, the environment, businesses, and employees suffer in a multitude of ways we might not overtly expect. The ERA affects all businesses and their employees, whether large or small, male or female. Maloney compelled listeners to realize that the Equal Rights Amendment “is not a women’s issue. It’s a family issue.” 

The ERA Coalition needs to show concrete evidence of their support in order to finally get the amendment added to the Constitution after a century. The political team is working with a “three-state strategy to avoid the Congressional time limit. Voting on the amendment and not the preamble, which had a time limit of seven years, can make the argument that the amendment is ratified,” the former Congresswoman states. The current bill does two things: it removes the time limit, and tells Congress that the amendment is ratified. 

What can a supporter of the ERA and ERA Coalition do to concretely show their support and help make a difference? Zmarlak answers this question simply: “Vote! Vote the right way. Educate yourself. Read!” she advises. Thomas echoes this sentiment, noting that “as the ERA Coalition, we support you going out to vote for the person who has your best interests at heart (whichever candidate that might be.) Just going out and voting is what’s important.” The ERA Coalition has also started a petition drive for assistance in various states, located at www.sign4era.org. Supporters can sign the petition here in seconds, showing their support and putting more pressure on the amendment to make its way through Congress this year. Additional information is available on their site. 

Maloney said in closing at the event, “If women succeed, America succeeds,” eliciting rousing applause from the crowd. “It took us one hundred years to get to this first step, but it’s only the first step… that’s why we’re here, and we won’t stop working!” Thomas cheers. American fashion designer and entrepreneur Julia Hart unexpectedly took the floor to great excitement and closed the evening in a glittering pink pantsuit and a blaze of emotion. She solicited donations for the ERA Coalition, noting the importance of the cause, and introduced the KZ_K Studio raffle for event attendees. The raffle winner will not only support the Coalition to further its goals, but also take home a sleek French leather jacket from slow fashion craftsmanship at KZ_K Studio. The contemporary draped jacket is made of a functional and soft washable leather, in a variety of colour palettes including white and smoke blue in a range of sizes. One hundred percent of the raffle proceeds will be donated to the ERA goals of the Coalition, the perfect way for a fashionista at the event to take home and sport an extra special memorial piece of their support for equality in style.

KZ_K Studio is a modernist womenswear designer using technology and concept-driven design to create function forms with intention and upscale textiles. The brand looks to develop its designs for maximum efficiency and versatility to minimize excess in fashion. The outcome is quality pieces with utility and meaning, that stand out as refined, aesthetic, and wearable for everyday and a lifetime of use. Creative director and co-founder Karolina Zmarlak – a Polish female entrepreneur – and her partner and co-founder architect Jesse Keyes, are spirited activist who aim to inspire and stand as supporters of equal rights for all. KZ_K Studio aims to speak to the modern minimalist who desires lifelong meaning in their style and in themselves through intentional design and alignment in both fashion and in life.

Sign online to show your support for the ERA Coalition and Equal Rights Amendment: www.sign4era.org. Learn more about the ERA Coalition online at www.eracoalition.org. Discover KZ_K Studio fashion in New York City at www.kzkstudionyc.com. 

_CREDITS

_{Writer: Laur Weeks @laur.weeks}

_{Photography: Courtesy of PR}

_{Design Studio: KZ_K Studio NYC @karolinazmarlak}

_{PR: MVC Communications @mvc.communications}

_{Speakers: Andrea Bossi (Fashionista), Karolina Zmarlak (KZ_K Studio), Zakiya Thomas (ERA Coalition), Carolyn Maloney (Former Congresswoman), and Maggie McGrath (Forbes)}