‘The shape of a T-shirt is so simple and beautiful,’ says Vivienne Westwood in her 2014 autobiography. ‘You are aware of the cloth, of the body, but also of an image: it is a canvas’. A new exhibition, T-Shirt: Cult - Culture - Subversion, at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, celebrates the socio-political power of this universal garment, one used as a visual tool for conveying cultural statements and protestations.
Westwood and her then partner Malcolm McLaren gained prominence in the late Sixties for their creation of DIY T-shirts, embellished with glitter glue, chains, provocative images and typography. Be it a black T-shirt bearing the word ‘Rock’ spelt in chicken bones, a white tee with two cowboys in hats, boots and naked from the waist down, or another style with studs spelling ‘Venus’, the duo used Letterism as a powerful tool to convey their anti-establishment, punk outlook.
‘T-shirt: Cult - Culture - Subversion’ is on display at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London
‘T-shirt: Cult - Culture - Subversion’, features a selection of Westwood’s T-shirt designs, from the coveted archive styles sold from her Kings Road boutique in Chelsea, to more modern ‘Climate Revolution’ iterations which convey her environmentalist outlook today. The exhibition also presents an expansive range of T-shirts by other creatives, which hang from colourful mannequins or are presented on graphic metal plinths. Look out for pro-recycling slogan designs by Henry Holland, squiggle pop art Aids awareness prints by Keith Haring, and artist Jeremy Deller’s slogan T-shirts, bearing tabloid headlines, like ‘My Drug Shame’ and ‘My Booze Hell.’
No exhibition on the political power of the T-shirt would be complete without the creative output of Katharine Hamnett. The British designer has been making slogan T-shirts since the Eighties. Her first ‘Choose Life’ slogan style was sported by George Michael on Top of the Pops, and last September the designer released a ‘Cancel Brexit’ tee. She also famously wore a T-shirt bearing the slogan ‘58% Don’t Want Pershing’ to meet with Margaret Thatcher in 1984, in response to the public’s reaction to US nuclear missiles being moved to UK soil.
Percentages have also been at the forefront of contemporary British politics, with the close European Referendum being totalled at 51.89 per cent voting to leave the EU. Hamnett has just launched her ‘Second Referendum Now’ T-shirt in protest. ‘In a democracy people have their right to change their mind,’ she says. ‘They were given incorrect figures and information regarding the impact of leaving the European Union. What’s so sad is that things which were going on in the Eighties are as relevant now as they were then. We’re at the tipping point and it’s time to act. ‘It’s not just about buying a t-shirt, you have to follow up on your beliefs.’
Left, ‘Breasts’ T-Shirt, designed and screen printed by John Dove and Molly White, for Morley, 1969. Original photography in collaboration with James Wedge. Right, Leopard skin ‘Fetish’ T-shirt, designed and screen printed by John Dove and Molly White, 1973.
Left, ‘My Drug Shame’, Limited Edition T-shirt. Right, ‘My Booze Hell’ Limited Edition T-shirt, by Jeremy Deller, 2016.
Vivienne Westwood wears a ‘Climate Revolution’ T-shirt backstage.
Left, ‘Don’t Be A Waster #SwapForGood’ T-shirt. Right, ‘Single Use Plastic is Never Fantastic #SwapForGood’ T-shirt, by Brita x Henry Holland
INFORMATION
’T-shirt: Cult – Culture – Subversion’ is on view until 6 May. For more information, visit the Fashion and Textile Museum website
-
Find interior design inspiration at Eba’s new Marylebone showroomEba, a specialist in kitchen and living room design, brings its elevated interiors to London’s Marylebone
-
An eco-conscious reconfiguration of space revives a London homeAn eco-conscious reimagining of a Victorian terraced home for a growing London family, THISS Studio’s Hartley House offers sustainable, spacious living
-
A guide to the best fashion stores Copenhagen has to offerWallpaper* picks the must-visit fashion stores in Copenhagen – from big-name boutiques and historic department stores to local labels and the best in second-hand, each presenting a fresh take on Danish design
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UKAs A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
-
Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019 -
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine RoseThough slimmed-down, London Fashion Week nonetheless provided the moments of creative expression the city is known for – from Ahluwalia’s ode to Africa to Martine Rose’s much-anticipated runway return
-
Discover these fashion brands at London Craft WeekDuring London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
-
Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London -
V&A spotlights the sartorial and social significance of the kimonoFor the latest endeavour of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk explores the evolution of the iconic Japanese garment
-
Erdem A/W 2020 London Fashion Week Women's -
Christopher Kane A/W 2020 London Fashion Week Women's
