Anyone ever heard of this brand? Usedco? Well, neither had I, and unfortunately I couldn't find out much about this company, except for a company registry record placing it in Cyprus starting in 1993. While this is scant evidence at best, this t-shirt might certainly be from 1993, and it has the graphic sensibility that aligns with rave fashion of the moment, and it seems to foreshadow the vogue for reworked and retro graphic tees so familiar today.
You might be thinking this is not the usual Violet Reign Vintage vibe, but its allusion to Reniassance art (Botticelli's Birth of Venus) and its patchwork aesthetic, and the placement of a bottom section with a "caption" that is also a sort of manifesto for conscious consumerism, situates this humble t-shirt firmly within my aesthetic and intellectual universe.
It's postmodern, satirical, museological and (despite not actually being recycled or upcycled) conveys a message of hope that "there is still some quality in the world" - ostensibly in what we now refer to as pre-loved clothing. So, even if it wasn't in 1993, it is now "used", and apparently a rare survivor because I could not locate another one or anything else by this brand out there on the web. Photographs of this t-shirt and its labels stumped Google lens, who didn't even return my image search query with other parodies of Venus on a half shell. Another reason to love it!
Condition is good, Some signs of wash and wear but no marks, holes or other visible flaws. The green panel at the bottom is stitched in, not printed.
Size 2 (Medium)
65% polyester / 35% cotton
Made in Taiwan
Measures 23 inches pit to pit
Length 30 inches
