Fashion and powerful slogan T-shirts have a long standing relationship. Be it Katherine Hamnett with her 1980s, politically charged statements worn by everyone from George Michael to Naomi Campbell; or Vivienne Westwood with her climate revolution focused designs, the notion of saying it with your chest is a tried and tested one.
So when designer Conner Ives came out at the end of his Autumn/Winter 2025 show wearing a T-shirt which read ‘Protect The Dolls’, it felt (unfortunately) like an urgent call to arms. With the rights of the trans community currently under attack from Trump’s presidency, the slogan — which shows support for those identifying as transfeminine — struck a cord, with many sharing the image of him wearing it across social media.
It has since been worn by fellow designer Haider Ackermann, who shared an image of himself wearing the design on Instagram, arm-in-arm with actress Tilda Swinton.
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Now, the latest A-lister to show their support for the trans community is long-term ally Pedro Pascal. The ‘Last Of Us’ star celebrated his 50th birthday in London this year, and posed for a photo in the T-shirt with DJ and trans icon Honey Dijon.
Pascal then went on to rewear the top at the Thunderbolts* UK premiere, days after the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of 'woman' in the Equality Act 2010 is based on biological sex, not gender identity.
Pascal, who has a trans sibling named Lux, posted an image on Instagram earlier this year which read: ‘A world without trans people has never existed and never will’. He wrote in the accompanying caption, directly addressing Trump’s administration: ‘I can’t think of anything more vile and small and pathetic than terrorizing the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist.’
The T-shirt is currently on pre-order, shipping from Ives’ London studio in 4-8 weeks. All sales proceeds will be donated to Trans Lifeline, a trans-led US-based charity. As the website copy reads: 'Given the US Federal government's current hostility towards trans people, support like this is needed now more than ever.'
With a slew of celebrity fans, as well as directly donating to an important cause, Ives’ design is set to be the slogan tee of the summer. Add to cart now for a fashion fix that both looks good and does good.
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