campanile telephotography: Beyonce, Diddy Design Re-Election Swag For President Obama

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Beyonce, Diddy Design Re-Election Swag For President Obama

'Runway to Win' effort will donate proceeds to president's campaign.
By Gil Kaufman

Beyonce and Tina Knowles's design for President Obama's re-election campaign

Beyoncé was clearly keeping very busy in the weeks leading up to the birth of Billboard record-setting baby Blue Ivy . Among the projects she participated in is "Runway to Win," in which a number of celebrities and fashion industry icons were tapped to design T-shirts and other swag for President Obama's re-election campaign.

According to New York magazine, the effort was spearheaded by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who wrangled a number of her friends and fashion world peers to design shirts, tote bags, scarves and bracelets for the Obama campaign.

In addition to Beyoncé, Diddy and hip-hip impresario Russell Simmons, others who've thrown in include First Lady Michelle Obama fave designer Jason Wu, as well as Rachel Roy, Narciso Rodriguez, Marc Jacobs, Diane Von Furstenberg, rag & bone, Altuzarra, Alexander Wang, Tory Burch and Tracy Reese.

Beyoncé's effort, designed in conjunction with her mother, Tina Knowles, is a $45 white T-shirt with the phrases "yes we can," "words do inspire" and "transform a nation together," randomly scattered across the front in different fonts. Simmons' and Diddy's shirts have not yet been revealed.

The current fundraiser is a sequel of sorts to a similar campaign in 2008 called "Runway to Change," and the proceeds will go to the Obama Victory Fund. Pre-orders are being taken now and all the items are slated to go on sale online on February 7.

Though much of the attention has been focused on the increasingly nasty battle among a group of Republican politicians fighting to gain their party's presidential nomination, as MTV's Powerof12 has reported in both Iowa  and New Hampshire , the Obama re-election campaign is in full gear as well.

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