Models Talk Fashion and Politics at ELLE's NYFW Kickoff Party

A little fashion week activism with Shaun Ross and Chloe Norgaard.

By Nana AgyemangPublished: Feb 09, 2017 3:17 PM EST

Footwear, Leg, Trousers, Textile, Shirt, Outerwear, Style, Fashion accessory, Fashion, Jacket,

Last night, ELLE, E! and IMG kicked off New York Fashion Week with a packed party in the Meatpacking District. Here, see which fashion insiders attended–and hear from some of them on why this season's fashion week feels different amidst our political climate.

Shaun Ross

Fashion, Feather, Natural material, Fashion design, Animal product, Floral design, Wing, Flower Arranging, Floristry,

Jenny Anderson//Getty Images

"Fashion this time around has changed a lot. It is a lot more on the social media side, but I think it is changing in a lot of ways for the better and it is allowing people to be more creative. Its allowing people to be more diverse. They think because we have a new president things change, no. He may be our president but we run the show."

Chloe Norgaard

Fashion, Street fashion, Costume design, Fashion design, Feather, Fashion model, Natural material, Animal product, Wing, Tribal chief,

Thos Robinson//Getty Images

"Honestly, I wasn't planning on doing fashion week and then I got some jobs and came. I was in India for five weeks and felt a little bit guilty I wasn't here to stand up with people."

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Eleanor Lambert

Clothing, Trousers, Textile, Outerwear, Leaf, Bag, Boot, Fashion, Street fashion, Jacket,

Jenny Anderson//Getty Images

"I think everything is different this year. Life has to go on which feels really wrong in a lot of ways, because life is not progressing in the ways it should. It's really hard but you have to keep going, you have to make your money and make a living from doing what you're doing but, how do you do that when your literal human rights are taken from you especially as a woman? You can remove it because its fashion, but everything get tinged by this situation we are in and you can't really ignore it."