Occupy Wall Street

One-percenter Jay-Z (or whomever designs his clothing line, Rocawear) has found inspiration in Occupy Wall Street. The simple black tee features the phrase "Occupy Wall Street" but with the "W" scribbled out and an "s" added at the end to read, "Occupy All Streets." Clever, maybe, but supportive? Maybe not. Jay-Z's friend Kanye West recently showed up to an Occupy Wall Street march wearing a $355 Givenchy shirt, and this tee, which is supposed to be available to purchase some time today, may not be any more OWS-appropriate. According to Business Insider, profits from the tee will all go to Rocawear and not the social movement it calls attention to.

It's inevitable that a youth-driven political movement is going to attract companies that will do anything to strike a chord with that elusive 20-something "cool" group of consumers. But when you're talking about Occupy Wall Street (and all its international equivalents), a movement that's kinda against consumerism, it becomes sort of ridiculous when companies start trying to target that demographic. Isn't the 99% hard up? (Yes, we are.) But that hasn't stopped the fashion industry--and some ballsy companies--from hopping on the OWS bandwagon and trying to sell shit.

Kanye West is many things. He's a successful music producer, rapper, most recently a clothing designer, but, a man of the people? Apparently so. Yeezy showed up on Wall Street yesterday in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests against growing economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence of corporate money and lobbyists on government in the United States. This would be all fine and well for West...except that he showed up in a Givenchy plaid shirt, which, Racked NY points out, cost a whopping $355. Kanye is also sporting a heap of gold chains--one of which appears to be the nameplate necklace from his dw by Kanye West line.