The accessibility to send, post, and share photos from one side of the world to the other, has made it easier for fashion information to travel faster and come from unexpected places. Though it is still true that a significant portion of fashion trends come from celebrities and red carpets, the whole world is looking at social media, the news, and the trending topics of the moment. 

Over the last months, the name and face of Luigi Mangione have increasingly become more popular. 

Mangione is the main suspect in the killing of CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot and killed in New York City on December 4, 2024. As a young, wealthy, Italian American Ivy League graduate, Mangione began gaining popularity, fans offering to cover legal fees and a prompt curiosity to know more about him and his life. Far from romanticizing crime, (a not untimely feeling with a convicted felon in the White House), Luigi Mangione’s case is peculiar, relevant, and full of Political Fashion.

Image Courtesy of Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

The case of Luigi Mangione 

On December 4, the murderer of the CEO of HealthUnited Brian Thompson shot him with a ghost gun outside of the headquarters in New York City. Despite a multi-billion dollar yearly funding to the New York Police Department, the shooter was able to escape and it was not until December 9 that the alleged killer of Thompson, Luigi Mangione, was caught and arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.

Luigi Mangione is a 27-year-old Italian American from one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Maryland. Mangione suffered from spondylolisthesis, a lower back condition that experts assure can cause extreme pain. When arrested, Mangione was found with a manifesto of three pages, from which the following lines stand out:

A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy.
"United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has grown and grown, but has our life expectancy?

The capture of Luigi Mangione created mixed reactions across the country. On the one hand, if proven to be guilty, he not only murdered a person, but he also carried a ghost gun (a gun with 3d printed pieces that he carried without the required permissions or licenses, and used several fake IDs before and after being in New York.

On the other hand, the manifesto stated a sense of apathy and frustration with the healthcare system —a system where thousands of lives are lost due to mismanagement or unaffordability, and no one is set accountable. This frustration was echoed, almost as a magnetic force where stories on social media connected from different parts of the country to share their negative experiences with the healthcare system. 

Mangione’s profile makes the case even more interesting. He is an Ivy League graduate and the valedictorian of his class at a private high school in Baltimore. In Maryland, his wealthy family is well-known and prominent in the real estate business, owning country clubs and golf courses. Mangione had no history of being insured by UnitedHealthcare, and it is safe to assume his wealth made healthcare more accessible to him (at least when compared with the 112 million Americans struggling to pay healthcare). 

A $280 backpack at the crime scene

Peak Design backpack captured on security footage. Image Courtesy of NYPD. 

Security cameras released photos of the shooter. In these photos, a Peak Design backpack meant for photographers but designed for casual use can be seen. This was not a mass-produced backpack that can be found anywhere in the US. The backpack was discontinued in 2019 and it was rare for Peak Design executives to see it used in this context.  

A grey version of this backpack was found in Central Park full of Monopoly money. Similar backpack styles are still available online. 

The Power Dressing in the Trial

The lawyers put together an action plan with evidence, messaging strategies, and defense for potential attacks. But the people sitting on the chairs of the accused and the accusers are the main characters of the story. Their names and faces are on the front page of the newspapers and they have a pivotal role of persuasion with the jury. 

Every American deserves the right to a fair trial. The verdict is determined by a variety of factors which can range from witnesses, and evidence, to questions answered or statements declared under oath. The jury decides whether the accused person is guilty or innocent based on the evidence, conversations and moments unraveled during trial. 

This psychology of fashion is true anywhere and everywhere including trials at both sides of the aisle. The clothes that these people wear are the presentation card to the jury which will determine the fate of the trial —a critical decision that can’t be undermined. Clothing goes beyond being a personal form of expression; it serves as a powerful form of non-verbal communication, one that can be frequently underestimated.​​

Image Courtesy of NBC 4. New York. 

 Studies in psychology and social science have shown that the way people dress can shape others’ perceptions of their credibility, trustworthiness, and even their moral character. In a courtroom, these perceptions are amplified, as jurors are tasked with making judgments based on limited information in limited time. The interesting thing, whatsoever, is that there have only been a handful of cases where the clothing selection in a trial has been taken seriously. Let’s unravel some of these cases. 

On December 23rd, for his arraignment at Manhattan Criminal Court, Luigi Mangione wore a burgundy sweater with a white shirt and grey pants. The sweater was quiet luxurious and did not display any logos. Through careful research from followers online, it was discovered that Luigi Mangione was wearing the washable Merino crewneck sweater from Nordstrom. The sweater is still available online in five colors, although the burgundy color is sold out. 

The styling of the sweater with the shirt sells an idea of an almost harmless well-behaved boy. But the conversation around this outfit moved even forward when we saw her attorney also wearing a matching burgundy sweater with a button-down white shirt underneath. It is hard to believe it is a coincidence knowing how profitable and visible the name and face of Luigi Mangione were becoming. If this was some kind of uniform where team members wear similar colors to communicate unity and a sense of belonging, we would have to see how this clothing narrative evolves in future public appearances. 

A person with influence

Mangione was charged with murder. Image Courtesy of NPR. 

If the plan was to generate more noise, it was accomplished. The sold-out burgundy sweater in Nordstrom and the increasing sales of the Peak Design backpack only show how influential Luigi Mangione is becoming. Major retailers and small business owners in Etsy found a peak in profits due to Luigi Mangione and his social media numbers continue growing day after day. Mangione is getting celebrity status —one that has already been dangerously normalized with previous cases like Jeremy Meeks who became a model when released from prison and leveraged the attention of his mug shot becoming a meme.  

This is the kind of influence that creates fashion trends to stay, Halloween costumes to replicate, and Political Fashion moments to debate. 

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