Conner Ives' "Protect the Dolls" T-shirt

The "Protect the Dolls" T-shirt, designed by Conner Ives for his autumn/winter 2025 London Fashion Week show, has quickly become a cultural symbol for trans rights. Created the night before the show using heat-transfer paper on deadstock cotton, it features a slogan drawn from 1980s ballroom culture, where “dolls” refers affectionately to trans women. Ives crafted the shirt in solidarity with the trans community in response to increasing anti-trans sentiment, including political policies and a UK Supreme Court ruling affecting the Equality Act.

Celebrity Visibility and Protest Use

The shirt gained widespread attention after being worn by celebrities like Pedro Pascal at the Thunderbolts premiere and Troye Sivan at Coachella. Their visibility, alongside others like Tilda Swinton and Haider Ackermann, helped elevate the T-shirt from runway item to protest symbol. It has appeared in demonstrations and on London’s streets, described as a modern call to action similar to iconic activist shirts like “Choose Life.”

Fundraising for Trans Lifeline

Sales of the £75 shirt have generated substantial donations for Trans Lifeline, a trans-led nonprofit offering crisis support. As of late April 2025, the campaign had raised around £380,000 through 5,000 orders. While originally conceived as a one-off, the T-shirt’s popularity continues to grow, with Ives emphasizing that its cultural impact extends beyond sales: the message itself has become a tool of awareness and solidarity.

Cultural Impact and Future Influence

The shirt reflects a wider shift in fashion toward political expression and ethical production. Its success aligns with broader trends like circular fashion and consumer activism, as seen in eBay’s rise of secondhand and meaningful style. Despite some community critique over its focus, the T-shirt stands as a unifying statement for trans rights, showing how fashion can empower visibility and foster genuine allyship.