Streetwear Fashion Brand Supreme Makes Political Waves
The classic red and white box logo plastered on every hypebeast and skater kid’s laptop has taken on a new aesthetic as Supreme has entered into the world of anti-Trump and pro-“Me Too” rhetoric. The popular streetwear brand has collaborated with the controversial artist, Richard Prince, to create a T-shirt featuring a composite image of the 19 women who have accused President Trump of sexual assault. The drop is titled “18 & Stormy” in an effort to highlight Trump’s notorious accuser, pornstar Stormy Daniels.
The T-shirt dropped on November 11th and retailed for the price of $40. Supreme donated 100% of the drop’s profits to the Downtown for Democracy, an organization “founded by creative people to transform cultural influence into political power.” Supreme accompanied the announcement of the drop with a message on Instagram urging its followers to get out and vote.
It is not unusual for clothing brands to be politically vocal, especially during critical election times. However, the open and unapologetic support of women's right from a male-dominated company is notable. Female-centric brands, such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Tory Burch and Rag and Bone, have also released politically powered T-shirts urging their consumers to vote; however, none have gained as much publicity, or praise, for their work as Supreme.
Supreme took a direct stand against both the sexual abuse of the female gender and against the President of the United States. Supreme’s composite image of the 19 accusers does not specify one particular woman, rather it works to highlight how the face of a sexual assault can, and does, resemble anyone and everyone. In doing this, Supreme is helping to change the narrative around sexual assault victims. This T-shirt sold out in less than one minute, highlighting how female empowerment has become desirable, trendy and exclusive.
This incredible motion started by Supreme functions as a beacon of hope that change is coming and that the incredible strength it took for these sexual assault victims to speak out is paying off. Although the T-shirt is no longer available (unless you want to pay ridiculous amounts for resale), stay tuned to see what next political stance the hypebeast brand is sure to make.
