Apart from the cartoons and theme parks, why is Mickey such an iconic figure in fashion? Put quite simply by J.G. Hook (Mickey & Co. clothing founder) and filmmaker Max Raab in an old interview, “He's good to look at, always smiling, and doesn't smoke dope.'
Supreme 2009 (top) and CLOT x Disney 2010 6 year anniversary – both limited run and since discontiued
Despite being the mascot of the corporate ogre that is Disney, I personally love seeing Mickey around. There's something very American about him. In his earlier years he was kind of a punk anyway, occasionally getting in fights and swearing. Aside from the original J.G. Hook clothing line, Mickey Mouse has been the subject of many designers, often taken out of context and in most cases unlicensed. From Jeremy Scott, to Supreme, Crooks & Castles, and even Disney themselves, in the past couple years Mickey has been showing up on on the occasional garment whether he wants to or not. Recently:
Once Disney took down the controversial 'Waves' t-shirt from their website, this person was the one of the first to list theirs on eBay, an auction that would end 23 bids and a cool $376.50 later. I picked up a knock-off for $20 the day after the listing went up and bidding was already over a hundo.
Then of course there's Azealia Banks launching her music career in a comfy knit Mickey sweater (which Karl Lagerfeld would later parody with an appropriation of his own profile, a gift given to Banks at his home in Paris).
And that mysterious girl from Tumblr in the oversize Dior sweater… (who is this and where did they get that fucking thing?)
