It happened on the first night of the Democratic National Convention: Michelle Obama’s “VOTE” necklace went viral. Designed by Chari Cuthbert, who founded her independent L.A.-based label ByChari in 2012, the vote necklace sold out almost instantaneously and since Mrs. Obama’s endorsement the orders haven’t stopped.
Mrs. Obama’s “VOTE” necklace was significant because it was the first viral fashion moment of the pandemic, when fashion sales have decreased significantly and small businesses across the country have been struggling to survive. It was a boost for Cuthbert, but it also signified a new approach to political dressing, one that reaches a younger consumer.
The necklace wasn’t meant as a piece of political merch per se, but Cuthbert’s design is now being positioned as such for an innovative new project. Today Mrs. Obama’s nonprofit, nonpartisan organization When We All Vote is dropping its first collection of merch; “Vote 4EVER Merch” includes clothes, accessories, and beauty and lifestyle products designed by independent, BIPOC-owned and sustainable labels from across the country. There are tie-dyed biker shorts and sports bras from the Black-owned Brooklyn design studio Danzy, custom sticker packets designed by the DC-based Black and Asian artist duo No Kings Collective, and a candle featuring artwork that represents women’s suffrage through a letter from Ida B. Wells, made by Durham-based company Bright Black. The collection also includes sustainably made, gender-neutral tees, shorts, and sweats from When We All Vote Co-Chair Megan Rapinoe’s line re-inc.
This is the first of two merch drops to come. Beyond creating enthusiasm around going to the polls, the products feature QR codes that actually direct customers to a voting registration site. Prices range between $10 and $150 and between 50% and 100% of the sale proceeds will be split between When We All Vote and the brands.
The team that led When We All Vote’s debut line includes Mrs. Obama’s longtime stylist Meredith Koop, who is Creative Advisor of Merchandise, and founder of S3 Active Sarween Salih, who is Brand Strategy Advisor of Merchandise. Crystal Carson, When We All Vote’s Vice President of Communications, Culture and Media Partnerships, was involved in the development of the project as well, as was Stephanie L. Young, Chief Officer of Culture, Communications and Media Partnerships.
Their curation of brands and the streetwear-inspired drop strategy is very much intentional. This is the election of a lifetime, and because of that the team’s approach had to be as focused and as thoughtful as possible. In addition to the diversity of the independent brands themselves, the first merch collection was also photographed on a selection of volunteers and friends of the organization on the streets of Washington D.C.
With 55 days to go before the November elections, over 165,000 people have begun or have finished the voter registration process with When We All Vote—but it’s only a start. Here, the team behind “Vote 4EVER Merch” discusses how they approached this initiative and why political fashion is more powerful with purpose, not just words.
Tell me about the process of approaching designers and brands to be a part of this project. What was important to you and the team in terms of choosing designers and brands?
Meredith Koop: When We All Vote hadn’t stepped into the merch space in a significant way, so it was very exciting to come on board and take on this project. The initial vision was to do something different in the voting product space, something more curated and with a youthful edge. Ultimately though, we wanted there to be something for everyone. The thought was, let’s go to the people who make our favorite mugs and ask them to do something in the spirit of voting. That was our starting point and from there, it just grew as we tapped into businesses around the country we admired. The same things that are always important to me in fashion were important here. We weren’t interested in mass production, fast fashion, or disposable product. In our selection, we have sustainable streetwear and beauty as well as certain items that are handmade, locally-sourced, made in America, gender neutral, and size inclusive. I was specifically interested in wearability and items that spoke to the spirit of voting without screaming.
Sarween Salih: Our approach was reflective of the moment. At a time when the importance of representation and equity is clearer than ever, we wanted to take an intentional and thoughtful approach that was reflective of what this country looks like and our personal values. We were deliberate about embedding diverse, body inclusive, and gender neutral products into the collection. We felt like we had this platform and we wanted to share it to uplift others and create opportunities for historically underrepresented entrepreneurs. We wanted to provide products across all demographics with a specific focus on young people of color who are currently the group with the lowest voting presence. I learned when I was curating my own retail business that you have to listen to what people are telling you and meet them where they’re at.
Stephanie Young: As we developed our culture strategy at When We All Vote, we knew that this would be a very different election cycle than 2018 and that we would have to be extremely creative in finding ways to break through the noise. We had our eyes set on a merch campaign that would speak to the diversity and creativity of all people in hopes to reach voters where they are.
Why do you believe that political merch is important right now and how are you approaching this launch differently than any other merch initiatives you’ve seen or worked on in the past?
Crystal Carson: We are living in one of the most expressive times in our nation’s history as thousands of Americans have taken to the streets during peaceful protests to stand up for what they believe in. When people feel as if their voices aren’t being heard, culture steps in to be the voice of the people, a constructive outlet and catalyst for change—whether that’s through music, content, or fashion.
What makes this different from other merch drops you’ve seen is that our team worked to find small, minority and women-owned businesses, rather than taking the traditional approach of going with well known or large scale brands. We want everything we do to reflect the beautiful diversity of this country from the designers to the price range.
Why do you believe that fashion can be a motivational tool for a younger generation?
MK: Fashion’s impact on culture is undeniable. We see it in dollars spent, images shared, and celebrities imitated when it comes to apparel and accessories. If we shift the needle even slightly, it’s a win.
SS: Historically, politics and civic engagement has taken a one-size-fits-all approach in engaging with people, but there are more ways to meaningfully connect. Culturally, different people need different entry points and fashion is just another way of connecting people to voting.
Streetwear was a big part of our vision from the beginning. I follow streetwear and sneaker culture closely and admire how they’ve been able to evolve with what resonates with youth culture. Our approach wasn’t just about the brands but also incorporating drop culture marketing and exclusive access to limited products. We wanted to generate excitement and anticipation and drops feed the desire for what’s new and fleeting especially in passion categories like fashion.
How can merch like this speak to or encourage voters in the Millennial and Gen Z age range who may feel disillusioned by this particular election or who feel as if their vote doesn’t or can’t count?
MK: I deeply respect the work that When We All Vote is doing to change the culture around voting. In this project, I’ve also grown an affection for all of our partners and co-collaborators. This collection comes from an authentic soulful place. A place of cool and fun and excitement. Of course, we were strategic in our thinking. I’m always thinking about the narrative and storyline. That’s what excites me. At the end of the day, though, we made some cool stuff with some really cool people that we hope will be part of what gets you fired up and ready to get out there and vote.
SS: Merch is one of many ways to give Millennials and Gen Z-ers a reason to pay attention to voting. The hope is that through the combination of other tactics and messaging—a TikTok, a Facebook ad, their friends talking about it in the group chat—you are creating conversation and giving different people different entry points. Merch is just one ingredient in a larger recipe of engagement.
CC: We look at merch as an onramp to harnessing the power of voting by inspiring potential voters to take action. It is our hope that those who feel disillusioned would at least come over to When We All Vote to learn more about the voting process. A big deterrent for participation is a lack of information around the process and we can help with that.
