Last month, New York magazine announced an innovative way to circumvent falling print media revenues: turning headlines from the Cut, the magazine’s popular fashion section, into slogan T-shirts, in partnership with Merch by Amazon. At $25 (£18.50) a pop, headlines such as “What do Jared and Ivanka do all day?” or “Four men and Greta Gerwig” became what Women’s Wear Daily have dubbed “wearable content”.
It isn’t a new idea. Since 2011, high-street retailer Weekday been releasing a weekly news-reactive T-shirt, inspired by that week’s hot topics. The brand’s Zeitgeist project is responsible for a range of T-shirts with social media-friendly slogans such as “Miranda for president”, after former Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon launched her plans to run for governor of New York, or “I’m sorry – sincerely yours, Internet”, after Mark Zuckerberg apologised over Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal. After rapper Cardi B announced her pregnancy on Saturday Night Live, Weekday printed “I wanna party with Cardi” commemorative tees, while her previous pregnancy denial resulted in a “Let me fat in peace” T-shirt for the Cut.
“It gives us a chance to say something and stand for something,” says Annika Berger, Weekday’s print designer. “Sometimes we talk about serious stuff, like human rights, politics or science, and sometimes we talk about fun things that have gone viral.” For the wearer, the benefit is obvious: it’s an opportunity to make a funny joke or a smart comment without having to be funny or smart.
For smaller brands, it can also be a way to shift merchandise at a lower price point, while establishing cultural credentials. British designer Phoebe English was compelled to print a T-shirt bearing the word “Travesty” after the Brexit referendum, although she is now embracing a more positive message, “Hope”. “They are about wearing your heart not on your sleeve, but on your actual heart,” English says. Meanwhile, unisex London label Blouse recently tapped into royal wedding hysteria with a commemorative “Just Harried” T-shirt, which was limited to just 50 prints allocated by Instagram ballot.
Given ethical qualms with fast fashion, the responsive model is a little unusual. A viral T-shirt is about as fast as it gets, at a time when we’re being urged to shop more sustainably, with longevity in mind. That said, keep hold of your “Miranda for president” T-shirt long enough and time might just make it a valued memento – more than can be said for much of the high street’s wares.