The hottest new fashion statement on the UW-Madison campus has some serious runway cred.
Virgil Abloh, a 2003 UW-Madison graduate, creative director for Kanye West and fashion designer behind high-end streetwear label Off-White, has teamed up with the Wisconsin Alumni Association to create the latest versions of the Red Shirt.
Three different designs, each bearing the word “Wisconsin” and the coveted signature Off-White stripe logo, are available for purchase at University Book Store’s State Street location and online. Made of heavyweight pre-shrunk cotton and available in unisex sizes, the official shirt of UW Homecoming 2015 is a fashion-forward twist on a campus classic.
Typically, Abloh’s T-shirts retail for more than $240, according to the Off-White website. But the new Red Shirt designs fit more within a college student’s budget, costing $49.99 each or, if purchased online, $99.99 for all three.
People started lining up at University Book Store around 8 a.m. on Oct. 12, the first day the new Red Shirts were available for purchase, employee Chandler Halverson tells Isthmus. The shirts are available for purchase through Oct. 30, but with the high demand, fashion-conscious Badgers would be well advised to get one soon.
“The students are really excited,” she says. “I think there’s a good chance they might sell out.”
Since 2008, the Wisconsin Alumni Association has put out the Red Shirt and donated 50% of the proceeds to the Office of Student Financial Aid and the Great People Scholarship. Over the last eight years WAA has sold about 38,800 shirts, raised $270,000 and awarded 137 scholarships.
Abloh will speak on campus on Thursday, Oct. 15, along with his former college roommate, Gabriel Stulman, a 2003 graduate who co-owns a group of restaurants in New York City. The event starts at 7 p.m. at Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 W. Dayton St. Space is limited, so register in advance.
