• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Shopping
  • Design Hunting
  • New York Weddings
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • Motherhood
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Science of Us
  • Horoscopes
  • Ask Polly
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • The Cut Shop
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
gallery
March 17, 2020

Bernie Sanders Is My Favorite Band

By Emilia Petrarca

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin It
Last-ditch tees for Bernie bros. Photo: Instagram/Twitter

“Mad people make the best stuff,” Jon Grinspan, curator of political history at the Smithsonian, tells me on March 10, as voters in six states are going to the polls. Anti–Establishment candidates inspire more handmade paraphernalia, he explains, like tees, hats, and beer koozies. This was true for Bernie Sanders in 2016, and the offerings have expanded this time around. Designer and illustrator Nicole Ginelli, whose bright-pink “Bernie” graphic written in the Barbie font went viral during the last election cycle for combating the “Bernie Bro” stereotype, is delighted that the market is more saturated. Especially now, there’s something by and for every kind of Berner out there, whether you’re a Grateful Dead fan, or feel the force of Baby Bernie Yoda, or just find Sanders rendered as a cactus kind of cute. Photos of a young Bernie Sanders are also popular. (But not too young — he’s still got to be recognizable.) One friend, feeling a sense of urgency to show her support for Sanders before voting in New York in April, bought a “Rage Against the Machine” T-shirt with the senator’s 1991 congressional photo on it to tide her over until her official Bernie x The Strokes one arrived (it took almost a month).

Sonya Sombreuil, the artist and founder of the L.A.-based clothing label Come Tees, who created the “Rage Against the Machine” shirt earlier this year, describes herself as previously having a “lifelong aversion to mainstream politics.” But she’s raised over $90,000 in sales for the Sanders campaign so far, and had to hire a lawyer to figure out how to donate it legally. The tee started as a one-off Christmas present for her boyfriend, who works for the campaign. When she decided to start selling them for $40 apiece on her website, the model and proud Sanders supporter Emily Ratajkowski was an early customer, and they quickly rose to the top of the pile. Ratajkowski didn’t initially tag Come Tees on Instagram, but, Sombreuil says, it’s fine. “It belongs to the people,” she declared. “That’s what I really believe in.” 

Will “Rage Against the Machine” make it into the Smithsonian alongside “Make America Great Again”? “While I still know all the words to ‘Bombtrack,’ people in 2120 might be less familiar,” says Grinspan.

*This article appears in the March 16, 2020, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!

View
1 / 19 Photos
Photo: emrata/instagram
Photo: aaioann/instagram
Photo: catalina.clark/instagram
Photo: museummammy/instagram
Photo: garagesale_art/instagram
Photo: heavyslime/instagram
Photo: itsmesteve3/instagram
Photo: joviansystem/instagram
Photo: leavesyoubreathless/instagram
Photo: lizalizo/instagram
Photo: nellenagacceber/instagram
Photo: dioscuri.dawning/instagram
Photo: ozimv/instagram
Photo: pinkbikeralph/instagram
Photo: rachelescanlar/instagram
Photo: romesixmile/twitter
Photo: sally_intherain/instagram
Photo: xicana_preciosa/instagram
Photo: victoria_blade/instagram
1 / 19

Tags:

  • image gallery
  • gallery
  • bernie sanders
  • power
  • politics
  • new york magazine
  • style
  • More

More Galleries

in memoriam Dec. 30, 2020
30 Incredible Fashion Moments From Pierre Cardin  Remembering a creative visionary. 
By Andrew Nguyen
rest in power Dec. 23, 2020
A Photo Memorial for an Iconic Model  She passed away suddenly at the age of 50 this week. 
campaign trail Nov. 18, 2020
‘Tis the Season for New Fashion Ads  See the best ones from Gucci, Prada, Versace, and more. 
By Emily Burns
nyfw spring 2021 Oct. 26, 2020
How a Great Collection Comes Alive  Christopher John Rogers launched its first-ever online shop, along with a new campaign. 
By Andrew Nguyen
campaign trail Sept. 24, 2020
See the Fashion Campaigns for Fall 2020  From Prada, Michael Kors, Celine, Louis Vuitton, and more. 
By Andrew Nguyen
nyfw spring 2021 Sept. 22, 2020
See the Coach Spring 2021 Collection  Worn by Megan Thee Stallion, Kate Moss, Cole Sprouse, and more. 
By Andrew Nguyen
fashion Sept. 16, 2020
The Stunning Awkwardness of Face Masks on the Red Carpet  Celebrities tried to make the best of a strange situation at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. 
one word one shot Sept. 15, 2020
72 Designers on Their Spring/Summer Inspirations  Just in time for Fashion Week. 
By the Cut
red carpet Sept. 8, 2020
This Red Carpet Was Totally Surreal  But also amazing. See all the looks at the Venice Film Festival. 
By Emilia Petrarca and Andrew Nguyen
in memoriam Aug. 31, 2020
Remembering Chadwick Boseman on the Red Carpet  His style was bold, risk-taking, and always impeccable. 
the wedding files Aug. 21, 2020
The Design-Minded Couple Who Didn’t Want to Try Too Hard  The bride got a wonderful surprise the morning of her wedding. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files Aug. 14, 2020
A Costa Rica Wedding During the Rainy Season  Thunder roared during the toasts. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files Aug. 7, 2020
A San Francisco Wedding at a Big, Empty Pier  The bride changed into crushed-velvet pants for the disco-infused reception. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 31, 2020
An Elopement Among the Lupines in Iceland  The late afternoon was spent snapping photos near waterfalls and black beaches. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 24, 2020
A Pennsylvania Potluck for 280 People  “I looked at her for the first time and had this feeling like, You. I know you.” 
By Kaitlin Menza
milan fashion week July 22, 2020
Behind the Scenes at Gucci’s Virtual Show  Instead of models, members of the design team sported the eccentric collection. 
By Andrew Nguyen
the wedding files July 17, 2020
A Dance Party Under Puerto Rican Palm Trees  Bad Bunny blasted and pitorro flowed. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 10, 2020
A Zoom Wedding Only Two Digital Creatives Could Produce  The couple coordinated multiple video segments, breakout rooms, and a dance party. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 3, 2020
The Anti-Spectacle Wedding That Turned Into a Spectacle  Brooklyn Bridge Park was the site of their first date, proposal, and wedding. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files June 26, 2020
A Night at the Philadelphia Museum of Art  The flowers were specially treated to protect the masterpieces. 
By Kaitlin Menza
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • We’re Hiring
  • Press
  • Trademark
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2021 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.