Society of the Spectacle
Society of the Spectacle’s artistic T-shirt graphics depicting natural objects have a subtext of sociopolitical meaning, but Namanh Hoang tries to incorporate the messages in a way that’s not hitting you over the head.
“We always see people wearing these political shirts, but they were not fashionable. They were unfashionable slogan shirts,” said Hoang, who dropped out of graduate school at University of California, Irvine to start Society of the Spectacle with his sister, Julianne Hoang.
“For us it’s about design first, art first and integrating the message as best we can,” Namanh Hoang said. One example in his debut Fall 2008 line is an illustrated octopus with tentacles that wrap around the shirt refering to the “media tentacle.” This term describes the fact that a small number of large corporations control multiple news outlets, Hoang said. He comments on race by rendering celebrity faces, such as Kate Moss, as blank paint-by-number drawings.
For its second season, Hoang went heavier-handed with the political messages. The shirt titled “Casualties of Peace” illustrates a peace dove carrying a gun, which is intended to raise questions about why violent war is used as a method to deliver peace, according to Hoang.
The Spring 2009 line evolved to also include a small offering of cut-and-sew items that have a casual, basic aesthetic in high-quality fabrics. A cotton twill miniskirt featuring silk lining wholesales for $80, a sheer cotton-jersey cowl-neck shirt with short, cuffed sleeves wholesales for $50, and a men’s dress shirt with festive madras-plaid trim wholesales for $60. Wholesale prices range from $25 to $35 for T-shirts.
Hoang said some of his customers have questioned whether it’s somewhat specious for the owner of a clothing business to produce tees with an anti-over-consumption message. “We’re not against consuming products,” Hoang said. “We’re talking about being more wise about what you’re buying.”
Society of the Spectacle has been sold to stores such as Atrium in New York, American Rag in Los Angeles, Nordstrom stores in California and Tomorrowland Edition in Tokyo. For more information, call (714) 457-1578 or visit www.soscloth.com. —Rhea Cortado
