Welcome to the 123rd insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we trace the history of slogan tees as this year’s most overlooked and wildly misunderstood fad.
Despite an incredibly minimal appearance, the ‘slogan’ t-shirt has recently become a battleground for misinterpretation and shock value. As we continue to gravitate towards hot takes and an ever-thinning attention span, bold lettering on a white Gildan blank continues to prove successful in sparking controversy online.
Before Instagram’s explore page was filled with jaw-dropping remarks and engagement bait traps, a British designer known as Kathrine Hammnet was rethinking our perceptions of speech. In an era where nuclear war was an extremely prominent threat, and the AIDS epidemic was flourishing in Africa’s third world, it was difficult to voice one’s opinion without a platform.
Void of social media, designers like Vivienne Westwood opted to print anti-semitic, contentious graphics atop Muslins to provoke the UK’s residents, but Hammnet took a different approach. Retaining harsh left-wing values as a political activist, she looked for a universally understood, resonating muse to convey her perspectives in a swift and rather concise manner.
Instead of orchestrating a runway show or perhaps an art installation to externalize her radical thoughts, Hammnett looked to the fashion’s quintessential silhouette - the t-shirt. Printing brief yet pervasive sentiments like “Use Condoms” and “Choose Life” in stark black lettering, the tees would soon be worn by Naomi Campbell, George Michael and celebrities alike.
The designer's simplistic designs were intended to be copied, “You can’t not read them, and once you’ve read them, they stay in your brain, churning around, hopefully making you think and act.” she stated. While true, her perspectives lack foresight in the digital age, where creatives are weaponizing her tactics for personal gain. Click baiting with wildly bizarre phrases ignites controversy, boosting insights and widespread reach.
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