The evening before his fashion show, fashion designer Connor Ives took a random t-shirt from a pile, and with a simple printing technique put a political message on the chest: Protect the Dolls. He wore the shirt during the final moment of his autumn winter collection. When he got off the catwalk, he was immediately bombarded with the question: where is it for sale?
That would lead to a true internet sensation that his last -minute choice would never have thought. He himself does not firmly believe in the combination of fashion and activism, he told the The New York Times. He mainly felt a growing need to do something about the growing hostility of the US government to trans people. The term dollsliterally translated dolls, is used within the queer community to refer lovingly to Trans Women.
In the two months after the show, the shirt appears on the chest of actor Pedro Pascal on the Rode Loper, actress Tilda Swinton shares a selfie with the shirt, and Troye Sivan is wearing it during a guest appearance at Festival Coachella. Due to the combination of activism, celebrities and social media, the shirt quickly reaches all corners of the internet.
Pedro Pascal – whose sister Trans – wore the shirt during the premiere of the movie Thunderbolts In London, a week after the British Supreme Court ruled that the definition of ‘woman’ within the Equality Act only applies to those who were born as a woman. During protests against judgment, the slogan could also be read on the signs of protesters; A sign that the message extends beyond the T-shirt.
In the United States, the rights of the trans -community are under fire since President Trump took office. For example, American government institutions must delete words such as ‘transgender’ and ‘non-binary’ in their publications and different states complicate the access of Trans youth to healthcare.
The shirt, sold out but can be ordered via pre-order, costs 75 pounds (around 88 euros). The proceeds from the sale are donated to Trans Lifeline, an American non-profit organization that is committed to the rights of transgender people. Among other things, they facilitate a telephone help line for and by people from the trans -community. In the meantime, more than 400 thousand euros has been raised, Ives told Thursday The Guardian. And: “That number increases every hour.”
Under the Instagram post There are many enthusiastic comments of the designer: “This one tee Is going to write fashion history, “”RESTOCK! RESTOCK! “,” We need a second drop. ” The mere critic who finds the price too high can move to the dozens of online sellers who copy the shirt en masse (without supporting a good cause).
The shirt fits in a growing trend of clothing with political slogans. As it We should all be feminists-Shirt from Dior and the Tax the rich-dress from American congress member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during the Gala. And not to forget: the Make America Great Again-Merchandise of President Trump.
In the description of his post, Ives writes that the experience teaches him that “clothes can become something bigger”.
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