Tuesday, Aug. 6 and Friday, Aug. 9 mark the 79th anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, and the fashion industry has stepped forward with a tribute designed to prompt discourse about modern geopolitics and the threat of nuclear war.
The penultimate events that led to the end of World War II represent the only time in history that nuclear weapons have been used in armed conflict. A devastating precedent was set—one that is commemorated annually by #CranesForOurFuture, a joint project of the Hiroshima Prefecture, the Nagasaki Prefecture, the Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace and the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
The campaign, which pushes for a future free from nuclear weaponry, has in the past pulled high-profile support from celebrities and politicos and tapped children’s book authors, visual artists and other creatives to bring its message to life. This year, though, the groups handpicked rising stars within the fashion community to bring a Japanese symbol of hope and peace—the crane—to a diverse collection of garments and accessories.
Elise Rowan, senior director of communications at Washington, D.C. think tank the Nuclear Threat Initiative, told Sourcing Journal that the 23-year-old organization has aimed to shine a public spotlight on the evolving threat of nuclear catastrophe while engaging policymakers in Washington and across the globe.
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“Our mission has always been to reduce those risks by working with governments, with partners in industry, with academics—but also through public engagement projects,” she said.
Now in its fourth year, Rowan said #CranesForOurFuture “is really built around the symbolism of hope for a better world, and the agency to use our own voices to call for that world.” The yearly campaign commemorates some of the darkest, most ominous days in world history, but its intent is to mobilize and inspire. “My job here at NTI is to help make this issue resonant and ascendant with people, to give people a chance to see it in the culture,” she added.
The first step is conveying the urgency of the issue. “We’re at a point now where the threat is so significant and severe; we try not to be alarmist, but we’re hearing from our leadership and from government officials that the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is at maybe the highest point ever, definitely since the Cold War,” Rowan said.
The group’s research has shown that a vast majority of people want to live in a world without nuclear weapons, “but they still have a hard time believing that that is possible, even though we’ve made huge progress,” she added. “We’re down 80 percent from the height of the Cold War in terms of how many nuclear weapons we have throughout the world,” but with so much geopolitical tension, from Russia’s war on Ukraine to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, most people can’t see a tangible end to the threat of nuclear destruction. “They also don’t necessarily see a role for themselves” to enact change, Rowan said.
That’s where designers, artisans and sartorial tastemakers come into play.
“I think we’re realizing that cultural storytellers, in the fashion industry and people who make cultural products that people consume… they have a huge role to play in helping people reimagine what’s possible,” Rowan said. “I think [fashion] reaches people at such a scale. We’re all waking up to the fact that if you care about something, you can’t just stay on the sidelines, and what you wear and how you represent that—there’s a huge opportunity.”
#CranesForOurFuture engaged eight brands and creatives in this year’s campaign, from Olivia Cheng’s Dauphinette to Studio715 by Claire Griffith, New York sustainable designer Zero Waste Daniel, Belgian avant-garde designer Jordy Arthur, Manga artist Gigi Murakami and artist Isla Read, whose hand-drawn prints were screen-printed on T-shirts, handpainted leathergoods artisan Lauren Bienvenue and Los Angeles-based hatmaker Christopher Jay Heller. Certain items will be listed for sale on the campaign’s website, but mostly, the initiative aims to help garner public support against the existential threat posed by nuclear arms.
Cheng, whose whimsical and ultra-Instragrammable designs for her six-year-old brand, Dauphinette, have graced New York Fashion Week runways and occupied exhibitions at the Met’s Costume Institute, said her engagement with the campaign was almost serendipitous.
“I thought it was really symbiotic, just from a sartorial lens with what we do with upcycled and ephemeral materials; specifically, we had worked with paper cranes before, so I thought that there was just a really organic fit from the get-go,” she said. “Most importantly, the mission behind #CranesForTheFuture is something that really resonated with me on a personal level, as it had been something that I had been learning about recently.”
Cheng had recently listened to author and investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen speak on a podcast about the possibility of a nuclear Armageddon, and what it might look like in 2024.
“She characterizes the narrative in a way where it really hits close to home and makes you wonder about things that feel obvious—like why are we mutually carrying this ability to destroy one another, when ultimately that—I would say pretty objectively—leads to everybody losing,” Cheng said.
It’s easy to feel small when confronted with the daunting truths about the perils humankind has wrought upon itself, “So to be approached with an opportunity to take something like what I do—which is make clothes and make fashion—and to be able to so directly correspond that with this very important topic and goal for society… felt like a really incredible opportunity,” she added.
Cheng crafted a new take on a Dauphinette creation from the 2022 collection for this week’s campaign. “It was this dress that had small paper cranes quilted into clear vinyl,” she said. Suspended in the transparent PVC, origami cranes in a multitude of colors and patterns appear to be flying around the wearer’s body.
When asked whether she believes fashion has a place in driving discussions around global issues and geopolitics, Cheng said art has always had a massive social impact, bringing humanity and emotion to movements throughout history.
“It’s really important that when you’re given an opportunity to have any level of platform, that you think about how you can use it in a way that is impactful and contributes to the society around you and is culturally meaningful—not just culturally relevant—but that pushes culture forward,” she explained.
“Fashion not necessarily accessible all the time, but it’s much more central to our lives than other certain types of fine art,” Cheng added. “Regardless of your interest in fashion, most people get dressed every day, and so something about fashion touches essentially every person’s life.”
“To use this quotidian thing…to represent a message such as World Peace is definitely like a responsibility I feel lucky to carry,” she said.
Meanwhile, Daniel Silverstein, another New York designer behind upcycled clothing and accessories label Zero Waste Daniel, told Sourcing Journal, “The mission of promoting innovation and kindness over destruction really resonated with me.”
“The crane symbolizes longevity and good fortune, which I believe are outcomes of embracing sustainable practices,” he added. “It’s a powerful symbol of hope and change that I wanted to be part of.”
The creative said #CranesForOurFuture’s focus “aligns perfectly with my belief that we can craft a better world by repurposing materials that would otherwise go to waste.” Zero Waste Daniel brand pulls pre-consumer waste from New York City’s garment industry, along with other tough-to-recycle materials. Those feedstocks are used to create unique men’s wear, women’s wear and accessories, many of which feature a patchwork effect.
Silverstein designed a mixed-material brooch that incorporates the campaign’s symbolism.
“This piece features a leather crane with my signature florals, crafted from leftover scraps,” he added. “By using these materials, I’m not only reducing waste but also creating something beautiful and meaningful.”
Silverstein said he believes the industry has the ability to turn the tides for both people and the planet, and should harness its powers for good.
“Fashion is a universal language and has a unique power to influence and inspire. It can be a platform for raising awareness and driving discussions about important global issues, including sustainability, climate change, and social justice,” Silverstein said. “By making conscious choices in our designs and materials, we can lead by example and encourage others to think more critically about the impact of their consumption.”
Across the country, L.A. area artisan Christopher Jay Heller said he was driven to get involved in the campaign because he believes in the collaborative, global effort’s goal of bringing people together to chart a course forward.
“The threat of nuclear catastrophe impacts us all, and the mission for a safer future resonates deeply with my vision of a world where dialogue and peace are prioritized,” he said. “Just as crafting a paper crane requires care and thoughtfulness, my approach to making hats embodies the same principles. It’s about listening, nurturing ideas, and providing meaningful alternatives.”
Under his eponymous brand, Heller created a custom wide-brim hat decorated with etched paper cranes and an inscription that reads, “Make Cranes x Not War.”
“My design may appear straightforward, but it’s the intricate process behind it that truly embodies the essence of the movement,” he said. “To preserve the velvety texture of the felt, it undergoes multiple stages of dyeing, distressing, burning, and sanding before any shaping or detailing takes place. I then carefully use a knife and blowtorch to etch in paper cranes, which are subsequently colored and distressed to harmoniously blend with the hat, rather than stand apart as separate elements.”
Heller said artisans and designers “absolutely” have a place in discussions about international relations, politics and the world’s nuclear future.
“Art and fashion spark creativity, boost our dopamine, and create a safe space for inspiration and connection,” he said. “By starting the conversation, we can uncover common ground and thrive together without violence.”