Erd Mao Shirt​

Erd Mao Shirt​

another piece of pop ephemera. Front and center sits a colorized archival portrait of a uniformed figure mid-gesture, arm raised, red armband visible — lifted straight from mid-century Chinese propaganda material — with a line of red Chinese characters printed beneath, rendered in the bold, declarative style of the original posters it’s sampling.

Flip it over and the back carries a second line of red script in a looser, handwritten calligraphy style, echoing the same propagandist source material. ERD isn’t editorializing here so much as holding the image up at full size and letting the discomfort of mass-produced ideology sit on the fabric exactly as it once sat on a wall. It’s appropriation as confrontation — a found image doing what found images do best: refusing to be neutral.

Constructed from 500gsm cotton in ERD’s oversized unisex fit, the shirt is produced in a strictly limited micro-batch, individually hand-finished, with the archival graphic printed to preserve the grain and imperfection of the original source. It comes in S, M, L, and XL. The print is dense and detailed, so read the garment care before it goes near a wash or an iron.

Enfants Riches Déprimés — French for “Depressed Rich Kids” — was founded in 2012 by conceptual artist Henri Alexander Levy, colliding 1970s French avant-garde tailoring with raw punk nihilism. The label has a recurring interest in appropriating loaded historical and media imagery, repurposing it into hyper-exclusive, deliberately uncomfortable objects that refuse easy interpretation. Nothing here is made to be liked outright — it’s made to provoke a reaction and then let you sit with it.

Crafted across Los Angeles (USA), Italy, and Japan.

History doesn’t wash out. Neither does this.

Specifications
Brand · Enfants Riches Déprimés (ERD)
Design · Mao Shirt — archival propaganda-style graphic
Colour · Black with red/multicolor print
Style · Short-sleeve crew neck tee
Material · 100% cotton, 500gsm
Fit/Hardware · Oversized unisex fit
Details · Front archival portrait graphic with red Chinese text, back calligraphy-style print
Made in · Los Angeles (USA), Italy, Japan
Production · Strictly limited micro-batch, individually hand-finished
Price · $150.00 (was $200.00)
Size · S, M, L, XL

Care Instructions (Canvas/printed)
Hand wash cold inside out or spot clean. Air dry in shade. Do not iron the graphic. See full garment care.

FAQ

What is the ERD Mao Shirt made of?
100% cotton at 500gsm, cut in an oversized unisex fit.

What’s the graphic on the shirt?
An archival, propaganda-style portrait print on the front with red Chinese text beneath it, and a second calligraphy-style red text print on the back.

How do I wash it without damaging the print?
Hand wash cold inside out or spot clean, air dry in shade, and never iron directly over the graphic. Full details are on the garment care page.

Where is it made?
Produced across Los Angeles (USA), Italy, and Japan.

Is this shirt a limited release?
Yes — made in a strictly limited micro-batch and individually hand-finished, so print placement and finish vary slightly piece to piece.

Style it with: Erd Madonna Shirt​