Check-out the awesome new Obama-wear created by Elektra Printz, one of New York’s smartest new fashion designers. Never heard of her? You will.
Like all great clothing design, Elektra’s work displays a sophisticated mastery of the woven medium, a deft touch in the dynamism of draping the human body, and a distinctive, compelling aesthetic. But, like all truly great art, her designs transcend the mere sensory impression and convey more interesting truths about the human experience – our history, culture, and spirit. For example, she recently won honors at New York’s preeminent fashion design school, Fashion Institute of Technology, for a couture evening dress which evokes the tragedy and vestigial hopefulness of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
If her work is considerably more ambitious than simply creating pretty clothes, Elektra brings an impressive array of tools to the game. She can call upon an intellect which saw her recruited from Smith College into a prominent investment bank, and a humanitarianism that saw her pitch in that career for a life of service which included the mentoring of a motherless teen as a “Big Sister”, international public health advocacy with Global Women in Politics, two remarkable years with the Peace Corps in Cape Verde, and a masters degree earned in Tokyo as a prestigious Rotary Peace Fellow. And then there’s her weapons-grade artistic talent.
But enough about Elektra. With little more than five weeks to go before the 2008 American presidential election, let’s take a look at her collection of hand-screened Obama T-shirts. What better way to announce your support for a smart, judicious, and inspirational leader to end the eight-year national nightmare of the Bush administration! Even Madonna thinks so.
Madonna in her Eletkra Printz Obama T-shirt.
Photo Credit: WENN and HollywoodUpclose.com
For those of you who want to an Elektra-made Obama shirt of your own, visit the collection at www.coup.etsy.com.
In the meanwhile, here’s a sampling from the Elektra Printz Barack Obama T-Shirt catalogue.
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Fashion and politics. I’m not a big fan of the ‘visual’ when the emphasis should be on thoughts and opinions of the candidates themselves. Of course I’m not saying that Obama won’t be a fine/great leader or that the designer of the clothing isn’t of stand-up character, but when you break it down, you are simply appealing to a more primitive sense in the voter – influencing/persuading them through fashion. I suppose you could argue that image is strategically important, especially in American politics …but I would hope that, at the ‘heart’ of the matter, it wouldn’t be. You can justify it in many ways too, including arguing to an enhanced awareness of the voter …but should you have to? Should it be the case that Madonna can sway your opinion by wearing a shirt?
Not that it will though as voter choices are most likely set enough that an ‘image’ isn’t suddenly going to change anyone’s mind. But still, the idea that fashion [i]may[/i] influence politics …perhaps it says something to the system itself. Perhaps her design should read …”This is not politics. This is a shirt.”