Bay Garnett, a stylist and self-proclaimed thrifting queen, is on a mission. Her frantic search for a missing banana print T-shirt is taking place via Zoom, her laptop perched precariously on her hip, leaving her hands free to rummage through her West London home. The scene is chaotic – a Sicilian rescue dog named Bobby snoozes on a bed in the background, oblivious to the commotion. This particular T-shirt holds a special place in Garnett’s heart. It wasn’t just any random find; it was a $5 purchase from a New York charity shop back in 1999, destined to inspire one of Phoebe Philo’s most iconic designs during her early years at Chloé.
Garnett vividly recalls the moment she discovered the treasure. It was a bustling Saturday morning, and the T-shirt, displayed on a discount rack at a Cancer Care shop, simply screamed out to her. Above the rack, a sign declared: “These pieces must go!” Go they did, but not to oblivion. Instead, the T-shirt embarked on an unlikely journey to Paris Fashion Week, appearing in British Vogue’s May 2003 issue. Garnett and her close friend, Anita Pallenberg, were tasked by then-editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman to style a fashion shoot entirely using their most cherished thrift shop finds. The shoot, featuring Kate Moss photographed by Juergen Teller at her north London home, became a defining moment in high fashion’s embrace of pre-loved style. The iconic image – Moss sporting the banana print T-shirt with white hot pants and a brown leather belt – remains etched in fashion history.
Philo, a dedicated reader of British Vogue, was immediately captivated by the T-shirt. Shortly after the magazine’s release, she reached out to Garnett, requesting to borrow the garment. The impact was undeniable. The following season, the irreverent banana print graced Chloé’s spring/summer 2004 runway, sparking a pop cultural phenomenon. And the story continues. In a delightful twist of fate, Garnett and I, a fellow fashion enthusiast, found ourselves discussing our own banana print finds – a Chloé dress for my birthday party and her original T-shirt. The circle is complete. As Garnett aptly put it, “This is the definition of full-circle circularity, isn’t it?” The story of the banana print T-shirt is a testament to the enduring power of vintage fashion and the potential for fashion to embrace a more sustainable future through circularity. It’s a reminder that true style transcends trends and that a simple $5 thrift shop find can become a global icon, echoing the cyclical nature of fashion and the beauty of giving old things new life.
