Vest thumbnail 1
Vest thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Design Gallery, Designing for Change section 1, Case 12

Vest

2018-2019 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Child-sized high visibility safety vest, orange knitted polyester, yellow trim, with reflective tape and velcro front closure. On the back is a cotton twill patch has been sewn, bearing a printed hourglass logo and slogan.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Polyester, reflective tape, block print on cotton
Brief description
Child's safety vest, with hand printed and sewn patch (purple) featuring logo from the Extinction Rebellion protest group, 2019
Physical description
Child-sized high visibility safety vest, orange knitted polyester, yellow trim, with reflective tape and velcro front closure. On the back is a cotton twill patch has been sewn, bearing a printed hourglass logo and slogan.
Dimensions
  • Length: 500mm
  • Waist and bust circumference: 460mm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'TELL / THE / TRUTH' (Slogan, printed)
  • 'Derby / HI-VIS / TRIM SERIES / 7-9' (Label, nape of neck)
Gallery label
High visibility Bright vests are designed to be highly visible. When lots of people wear them together, they create a very noticeable group. Patches can identify you as part of a group or movement. The vest here has a patch printed with the Extinction symbol and slogan ‘Tell the Truth’. The wearer and their family also printed textiles and made flags to wave aloft. [Young V&A, Design Gallery group object label] (2023)
Credit line
Given by Didi and Evie Russell
Historical context
Extinction Rebellion are a non-violent protest group network raising awareness of global heating and climate change. They formed in 2018 to use civil disobedience to engage people with their cause. They have become known for several occupations of major streets in central London, holding up traffic and holding talks and workshops instead.

These events have been adorned by the work of Extinction Rebellion’s Art Group, who have harnessed illustration and graphic design to create memorable visuals. These designs have also been shared online so that anyone can use them. They have been added to by other groups around the world but all feature the same colourways, typeface and styles.

Many children with concerns about their future have been inspired by the actions of young activists such as Greta Thunberg, initiator of the School Strike for Climate, and have participated in these protests through the Extinction Rebellion Families Group. They have organised family friendly events that contribute to action through participation through creative acts of making, using art techniques that children can easily apply, enabling them to be noticed and amplifying their voices around issues that will affect them in future through harnessing their creativity and working together with others.
Subject depicted
Associated object
B.80-2022 (Version)
Collection
Accession number
B.78-2022

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Record createdJuly 22, 2019
Record URL
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