Noah launches politically charged Animal Farm capsule

By

Robin Driver

Published
Apr 19, 2019

NYC-based streetwear brand Noah has announced the release of a capsule collection inspired by the 1954 Halas and Batchelor animated film based on George Orwell’s iconic political satire Animal Farm.
 

The five-piece capsule includes two t-shirts, a hoodie, a five-panel cap and a skate deck. All pieces feature imagery from the film, including its title logo and a propaganda-style “Pig Brother is watching you” poster.

Both tees are available in three colorways, while the hoodie is offered in two different color options. 

A political allegory transposing the events that followed Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution to an English farm, Orwell’s 1945 classic recounts the rise to power of Napoleon the pig and his increasingly dictatorial tendencies. The novel has long been praised as a satirical masterpiece and has been adapted for the radio, stage and screen. 
 
“Although Animal Farm speaks specifically about the change in power in Russia, for me, it was obvious that the theme was universal and is just as relevant today as ever,” explains Noah founder Brendon Babenzien in a release. “Revolution and regime change led by the uniformed and without the full understanding of the general population generally leads to a "change in masters,” […] It’s a recurring theme in world history of the ruling class creating a system that benefits them in every way and excludes the masses.”
 
On its blog, the brand doubles down on the political position it is adopting with the release of the collection, drawing an explicit link between the novel and contemporary politics.
 
“Animal Farm illustrates how easily this kind of self-dealing can come to dominate a political system and erode ideals of equality. It's a form of creeping oppression that's made an alarming comeback around the world over the last few years, even in our own country,” it states.
 
Prices for pieces in the collection range from $48 for the cap and tees to $148 for the hoodie.
 
The Noah x Animal Farm capsule is available to purchase now in Noah stores, as well as on the brand’s e-commerce website. The skate deck has already sold out.