Simple, bold and remixed endlessly: why the I heart T-shirt is cool again

The biggest faux pas a tourist can make? Dressing like one. Selfie sticks and oversized backpacks fall within this category, but one item has seemingly transcended cringe and entered the realm of cool. The “I heart” T-shirt, instantly recognisable and forever linked to New York, has been rescued from Canal Street stalls and embraced by a kitsch-loving, meme generation, even finding its way onto the catwalk.

Designers have turned the souvenir tee into more than a celebration of the city: Coach’s interpretation featured beaded hearts and pen-scribbled text worn by Ella Emhoff, while Matthieu Blazy’s Métiers d’Art show for Chanel styled a sequined version with a matching tweed set.

Celebrities have followed suit — Alex Consani and Teyana Taylor have been spotted in the reshaped classic, and Amelia Dimoldenberg wore a faded baby tee over a gown by Miss Claire Sullivan on a New York red carpet. The design’s origins are as New York as the T-shirt itself.

i heart, t-shirt, new york, canal street, kitsch, meme generation, catwalk, coach, chanel, teyana taylor