olin Kaepernick: professional football player, former baseball player, political activist, and now fashion icon for activists everywhere. Colin Kaepernick gained national attention back in August of 2016 when he was pictured sitting down during the national anthem; since then, he has become an icon for those against police brutality, in support of civil rights, and social justice activists everywhere. In an interview with the NFL, Kaepernick explains the meaning behind his protest: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
One year later, Kaepernick, despite being a free-agent, has the top selling jersey on the official NFL website. His iconic #7 49ers jersey retails at various prices on the website, the most expensive being $74.99. Adding to the jersey’s political and social image, rapper and black rights activist Jay-Z, who is known for his lavish lifestyle in the fashion world, did not wear any brand names for his performance on Saturday Night Live, but rather sported a custom Kaepernick jersey.
All this fame and attention has earned Kaepernick’s jersey a place in the new MoMA exhibit: “Items: Is Fashion Modern?,” pushing Kaepernick into the world of modern fashion. In addition to his jersey, Kaepernick’s influence on the fashion world is apparent with a simple Google search resulting in many Kaepernick-esque shirts, as well as his own design displaying the hashtag #IMWITHKAP. This type of politically charged fashion is one that has become increasingly popular in the world of fashion–just take a look at Christian Dior’s collection for this past year–and it looks like it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Images courtesy of: NPR, The Undefeated, FiveThirtyEight