Illustration by Khoa Tran

I’ve recently started to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed by the place I’ve called home my whole life.

You cannot discuss England without discussing Colonialism. Recognising the use of war, slavery and brutality, and the creation of an Empire, is essential to taking responsibility for the nation’s actions. The British flag has always been a symbol of oppression and violence, the St George’s Cross originating from the medieval crusades of the 12th century.

While flags are an integral part of a country’s identity, the appearance of these flags around the suburbs of London, tied up on lamp posts or graffitied by the public, has darker associations.

Linked to the shocking rise of nationalism, anti-immigration sentiment and racism within the British public – displayed through the sudden increase of votes for parties such as Reform, who
saw a 14% vote share in the 2024 election – the English flag has continuously been used for fascist organisations, garnering it a reputation for being divisive, discriminatory and fanatical.

The flag has not always been presented this way, however. Since the unification of England and Scotland in 1603, creating the Union Jack, the print became iconic worldwide for its cultural impact in music and, notably, fashion. Rather than patriotism, the flag started to represent rebellion, boldness, and power. The domination of the Punk subculture in the 1970s literally ripped up the flag and its connotations.

The desecration of wearing the flag rather than celebrating nationalism represented a direct challenge to authority and institution, inherently an act of protest. Popular rock bands such as
the Sex Pistols and The Who turned the flag into a satirical statement, encouraging disdain towards the system through the clothes they wore while performing. Vivienne Westwood
remains a key designer for subverting the flag, displaying it on tattered and explicitly critical garments.

In the 1990s, the graphic flag became popular again, providing us with the now nostalgic ‘Cool Britannia’ aesthetic that was cemented by Geri Halliwell’s iconic 1997 Brit Awards Union Jack dress, McQueen’s designs from high fashion to David Bowie, and the ever-lingering style of Britpop bands Oasis and Blur.

Now, the meanings and connotations of the flag have evolved once again; a symbol that should represent English identity has become controversial. As students living in England, we should
have the right to demand our own interpretation of this graphic and make it our own; however, the socio-political impacts of using the English flag in fashion now seem out of touch and inconsiderate.

Can a source of national shame transform once again into cultural significance, or is it tone deaf of designers to ruminate on a history with muddy waters?