MANIFEST DESTINY.

So, not all too long ago, GAP/GQ released this ad:

image.

"Okay" you say to yourself, there's nothing wrong with this ad, just a couple of hipster dudes playing hack y-sack, no big problems, glaring errors, or cultural misappropriations here. 

Wrong. 

The problem here is the "Manifest Destiny" t shirt the young, exuberant man on the left is wearing. 

The people at GOOD put it this way: 

image

GOOD is calling for an apology by GAP, does GAP really owe anyone an apology? Does their status as corporation make them people too? is it within their rights to produce and sell such a t shirt? 

And/Or are they just culturally ignorant? 

This ad, and these questions, are just a few of the reasons I decided to finally make this blog (other than some prompting from friends and classmates and professors...)

More than I think we may realize, the intersection between fashion and politics is very clear, outside of t shirts, designers makes statements with everything from their twitter accounts (Kenneth Cole) to their accessories, to their NYFW 'inspired' collections. 

And in the same way, our politicians and their people make very conscious choices about what and who they wear, and what that could possibly communicate about them (and their values) as a person and as a candidate. 

So, stick around and explore this intersection with me! I think it'll be fun!