[Rob Stuart]

Fifty Grades of Che

Following the Arab Spring and the Ukrainian Euromaidan it seemed the zeitgeist was auspicious for the resurrection of that countercultural classic, the Che Guevara t-shirt. I optimistically screenprinted ten thousand of the standard black-on-red variety, but was dismayed to find they sold more like cold sick than hot cakes. A spot of market research quickly identified the problem: modern consumers expect a choice of designs and materials that reflect their politics and income bracket and the ‘Citizen Smith’ style just wasn’t cutting it. I responded by producing fifty different grades of the garment. These ranged from a solid gold shirt with an inlaid platinum Che and the words ‘HIPPY SCUM’ picked out in rubies, to a jam on recycled burlap version (the picture vanishes on the first wash, thus allaying any fears lefties might harbour about the commodification of the great man’s image.)