“When the fluorescent yellow vest makes the invisible visible”

Rarely has a clothing hijacking been so impactful. In the fall of 2018, the "high-visibility vest," designed to be worn when one's car is stopped, was given a new mission: to represent the colors of a social movement with unprecedented dimensions. As the mobilization grew in intensity, this piece of equipment offered a showcase of formidable effectiveness.

The yellow safety vest is visible from afar and conveys several messages. Because it belongs to the automotive world, it refers to the origin of the protest, triggered by the decision to increase the carbon tax and therefore the price of fuel, hitting hard a population forced to travel by car daily.

This safety equipment, which became mandatory in October 2008, also suggests the sense of abandonment felt by those who feel relegated to the emergency lane of French society. The fluorescent yellow vest makes the invisible visible. To the point where we only see them.

On October 24, 2018, in a video message posted on Facebook, mechanic Ghislain Coutard called out the troops. "We all have a yellow vest in the car; keep it visible on the dashboard all week," said the 36-year-old from Narbonne. The dress code from the protest was born.

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