What is the strange religious experience of fashion?

Last week, Tik Tok celebrity Addison Rae found herself at the business end of a social media frenzy after posting a now-deleted selfie on Instagram wearing a “Holy Trinity Bikini” – a bikini top from the hip fashion brand that had “Prayer” Father” on one side, “Son” on the other and You can probably guess what’s below.

It seems like it was designed to scare people, and it seems to have succeeded, causing so much backlash that the star eventually deleted the post. But while the Holy Trinity bikini is a great example, Praying has created Christian symbolism for many of its pieces – like “God’s Beloved” and the Corinthian verse to shorts, handbags and crop tops. And the brand is popular, counting the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Halsey and Christina Aguilera among its fans.

And praying isn’t the only brand that looks to the Lord for fashion inspo. I Need God started out as a cheeky Epidemic-era meme page that walked a fine line between kitsch and sincerity, building a large following of Christians the way your grandma decorated her house. . I NEED GOD was started by four queer friends whose energy struck a nerve online, and is now a popular boutique that carries phrases like women’s swimwear, “I need God every minute of my life,” a crop top that says “God is on you,” and a pair of booty shorts that say, “My favorite God is an artist because he created this” It is spread over the boot.

Yes, from Kanye West’s Sunday service commercial to the Met Gala 2018 theme, fashion is getting a religious experience. One of the top luxury brands in the game right now is Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God. As with many elements of Gen Z couture, it’s an open question as to which one should be taken seriously. Lorenzo is very clear about how his style is wrapped up in his true beliefs, but he’s less obvious with the younger, troll-er brands. GQ found his Instagram comment in the I NEED GOD post sums up the ritual nicely: “So sure this page is 6 layers deep but it’s uniquely true.

At least there’s faith in what they’re putting out there, Kyle Hide, one of God’s founders, told GQ magazine. “The world is so crazy, nothing makes sense,” he said. “All meaning is breaking down. No one knows how to act with each other. And we’re so far apart and the computers are dividing us with algorithms and right now you’ve got to surrender to God because that ‘nothing can save us’ kind of vibe.

It’s a little funny. For decades, the churches have been trying hard to keep Jesus cold. Church fads can subtly invoke Christianity with wordplay or movies that try to get you in the door by pretending you’re not a Christian before making a last-minute altar call. But now, many unaffiliated brands are finding great success by wearing Christian truths on their actual sleeves (or, elsewhere) and inviting consumers to live the truth.

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That’s not to say that the Holy Trinity Bikini is the most effective evangelism tool on the market—though if it’s between that and a chic track, let’s just call it a draw. Clearly, these places have fun pushing buttons, blending healthy momocore energy with trashy fashions for the resulting frenzy. Not exactly what you call it. Respectful Although on the scale of things to be upset about these days, it’s fairly low.

While many religions have suffered the humiliation of seeing elements of their faith relegated to the trappings of kitsch consumerism, from ridiculous Buddha toys to chakra charms, American culture has never held anything so sacred when there was reasonable money for it. After Jesus entered the graves, from the graves to the religious and political exchanges, from the necks of the gold tenants, from the various grave memorials, from the sanctity and temperature, Jesus merchants were found. It’s a little late to be upset about this now.

And in this case, there is a certain level of sincerity in the game. The rocks cry out to God, and perhaps, in some ways, the fashion brand is powerless to do less. One says, “I need a God T-shirt to remind you that you are loved by the creator of the sun, moon, stars, and galaxies.” Talk to him. He is not what you think. A simple Sunday school message, sure, but as true as it gets. And for anyone who buys prayer gear for Ray and biblical messages, we’ve got great news: there’s a lot more where that came from.