Could a must-have streetwear giveaway get the kids to vote in this year’s midterm elections? That’s what L.A. artist and designer Brendan Fowler aims to find out.
Perhaps inspiration struck Fowler after comedian Desus Nice posted a rhetorical question to Twitter:
what if u got a supreme sticker after voting
— Desus MF Niceđź’Ż (@desusnice) September 13, 2018
It seems millennials and Gen Z-ers are more willing to wait hours in line for a streetwear drop than to exercise their civic duty. Fowler hopes that by combining the two activities, he could improve voter turnout in these age groups.
GQ profiled the Some Ware designer about his efforts to get out the vote, which he said should be done “by any means necessary.” His tactic is to team up with Tremaine Emory to give away free limited edition T-shirts to streetwear fanatics in L.A. and Boston who prove they voted. There will be a pop-up shop at ICA LA, which will be selling a variety of Election Reform (Fowler’s fashion line) merchandise, as well as the T-shirt giveaway. Anyone looking to nab the limited-edition tee must bring their “I Voted” stickers to ICA LA.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoxRYm-HfiO/?taken-by=brendanfowlerbrendanfowler
“We’re putting our money and our effort where our mouth is,” Fowler said. “It’s not casual to produce a bunch of stuff. We’re trying to say how important voting is.”
Fowler has the support of several big-name artists, including Travis Scott, who posted a photo of the midterms tee to his Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BopUO-5nhd7/?utm_source=ig_embed
Will Fowler’s T-shirt giveaway make a difference? With only 28 percent of millennials saying they are definitely voting, it couldn’t hurt. We think that Fowler’s efforts would be majorly improved, however, if Supreme collaborated with the artist on a voting collection. After all, the streetwear giant seems to have major influence with today’s youth culture.
