Sonic Liberation Front
The idea for Radio Alhara’s first T-shirt came from their 2020 Fil Mishmish project, which was in part a reaction to the ongoing occupation of Palestine. “During the summer Israel decided to do a totally illegal annexation of land in Palestine and we wanted to react in a certain way, and we thought that in the frame of the radio, the most powerful way would be to create this massive online protest,” said Mothanna Hussein. Sonic Liberation Front continues in this spirit; the T-shirt for an initiative by a group of sound platforms and sound artists who came together to unify their sound for Palestine and protest against the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
Magic Garden
“The main thing I try to add now is a mood,” Brooklyn-based illustrator Karlotta Frier told us, of their illustrations for publications like The New Yorker and LA Times. This approach reads in their Magic Garden T-shirt too, which was born out of a period of intense client jobs. “I drew this in one sitting late in the evening of an incredibly busy summer,” Frier said. “I had so much commissioned work that I hadn’t drawn something self-initiated in at least six months and I didn’t put the pen down until one in the morning.”
MARY EARPS X HOLLAAAA FC
Just named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Mary Earps was a key part of the Lionesses team, which reached the Women’s World Cup final this past summer. A clever riff on a classic football tee, with the back adorned with her team number, the design included her nickname – Mary Queen of Shots.
No Nations! No Borders!
In a year which has felt increasingly politically conservative in the UK and globally, with clampdowns on protest and an amping up of the ‘hostile environment’, Black Lodge Press’s protest T-shirts have felt vital. When we spoke to founder CJ Reay earlier this year, on making slogans which are so direct (messages include “No Nations! No Borders!”), they said, “The political situation has evolved so much in this country that I feel like there isn’t any space for subtlety.”
Allergy Season
Per Törnberg was behind the merch for the electronic label Allergy Season, run by Physical Therapy. The label’s visual identity, which Törnberg is also behind, riffs on the aesthetics of allergy pharmaceuticals. First released in 2019, this year saw a reissue of the classic T-shirt.
Protect Trans Youth
Fostering community and connection through art is integral to LA-based artist Loveis Wise’ practice. “I feel that when the fruits of my labour are at a point where I’m able to share a piece, and when I’m able to connect with folks on it, and just rejoice in what I was able to be a part of, and sit with my gratitude for that; that’s when I feel very creatively satisfied,” they told us. Their Protect Trans Youth T-shirt drew directly on this ethos – ”I wanted to create a motif that focuses on healing, transformation, and a call to action,” Wise said.
SCHIMMER RECORDS MERCH VOL. 4
The Offenbach am Main-based illustrator, animator and tattoo artist Verena Mack created this artwork for Schimmer Records Collective, and it’s proved so popular it has run through multiple colourways and garment iterations.
Over the Hills
Formed in 2015, Boss Morris are helping bring Morris dancing to a new generation. A fluctuating collection of around 12 creative practitioners, this female-led group approach preserving tradition as a process of reinterpretation, not reenactment. A T-shirt felt natural for Boss, as costumes are integral to what the troupe does. “That process [of costume design] centres around references to past versions of the Morris kit, as well as the heritage of fabrics,” Lily Cheathem told us.
ANTI-FASCIST NEIGHBOURHOOD
And finally, it’s another football tee. The Hamburg football team St Pauli have a long history as an anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-homophobic and anti-sexist team, and have drawn supporters the world over for their leftist stance and history with alternative culture. This T-shirt proudly celebrates the cult team.
Read More: Our Favourite T-shirt Designs of 2022
