New York-based Pyer Moss‘s runways presentations are always full of designs worthy of closer examination and for spring 2020 one of the items was a “Vote or Die” t-shirt, inspired by Citizen Change, a political action organization founded by Sean Combs in 2000.
Adding a current-day twist, the t-shirt includes the admonition, “For real this time” a comment on the 2016 election when a fatal number of voters chose to stay home either because they lacked enthusiasm or didn’t bother because they viewed the likelihood of Donald Trump winning as highly unlikely. It also speaks to the potentially dire outcomes should Trump win a second term.
The “Vote or Die” t-shirt is one item included in a capsule made in collaboration with the Sean John label and puts the cap on a triptych of collections partnerships that included Cross Colours and FUBU.
While Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean Raymond is very out front about making political statements through his designs, the connection with John holds an additional personal meaning. As it turns out, Jean-Raymond, who attended Hofstra University, was a recipient in the early ’00s of a Black Retail Action Group scholarship sponsored by John Combs and Sean John president Jeffrey Tweedy.
Check out the shirt below. As of now, Pyer Moss hasn’t announced timing for the shirt.
