Activist and writer Monica Lewinsky wants people to get out and vote. This week, the clothing brand Reformation announced a partnership with Lewinsky encouraging people in the U.S. to participate in their civic duty.
“Voting is using your voice to be heard, and it’s the most defining aspect of our democracy,” she said, according to the announcement.
Lewinsky first received national attention in the 1990s due to her involvement in an affair with former President Bill Clinton when she was a White House intern. Since then, she has become a writer and activist. Last year, she wrote a piece for Vanity Fair calling for six new councils to be added to the U.S. Constitution.
Her story has made her an icon for many Gen X, millennials and Gen Z, said a piece published in Elle this week.
“Lauren Caris Cohan, Reformation’s chief creative officer, is one of them,” it said.
Reformation is a clothing brand based in Los Angeles, Calif., that was established in 2009. Per its website, the company is focused on sustainability.
“Today, we make effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure and pioneer sustainable practices, focusing on people and progress each step of the way,” it said.
According to the Pew Research Center, recent elections of 2018, 2020 and 2022 were three of the highest-turnout U.S. elections of their respective types in decades. In fact, 2022’s 46% turnout exceeded all midterm election turnouts since 1970.
Still, The Hill reported last month that potential 2024 voter turnout is still a mystery. One poll conducted late last year by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University indicated that young Americans age 18 to 34 are likely to vote in 2024. It found that 57% said they are extremely likely to vote and 51% are likely to vote for a Democratic candidate.
This year, voters have already been turning out for primary elections. However, an AP-NORC poll from December found that most voters aren’t thrilled about the likely candidates – incumbent President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
“It’s a super important election year and faith in big institutions is pretty low,” said Reformation of the upcoming election. “We get it. We don’t wanna be another brand just telling you to vote, so we partnered with experts at Vote.org.”
Reformation provided the non-partisan voter resource with a $25,000 donation and proceeds from a limited-edition sweatshirt will also go toward the organization’s work. It said that voting is an important way to further its goals of prioritizing people and the planet.
Elle noted that this “is the third election in a row for which Reformation,” has done a project aimed at getting people to the polls.
“We’ve seen in polls that voter frustration is up and apathy is up,” said Lewinsky of this year’s campaign. “We all have to be reminding each other that we can’t let that get in the way of needing to vote, that that’s how we use our voice. That’s where our power is.”