FOUR TYPES OF MESSAGES HIDDEN BEHIND ISSA’S SHIRTS IN INSECURE

Images via HBO

Who knew a 100% cotton tee could carry so much weight?

If you’ve watched Insecure, then you noticed that through the various ups, downs, and characters’ growth, one thing that remained consistent is Issa’s love for graphic tees. The garments with bold messaging appear at least once in every single episode. Believe me, this is not a mistake. It is a deliberate move by Insecure’s Costume Designer Ayanna Kimani to insert “Easter eggs”, as she refers to them, into the show. In a 25 minutes episode format, the tees serve as valuable insights into the character’s hobbies, interests, and political views without having to address them in the script.

Let us dive into the 4 types of messages behind Issa’s iconic graphic tee collection:

(Disclaimer: For this discussion, I will also include sweatshirts.)

I love to see if the viewers catch my little Easter eggs. I love to see how they interpret the wardrobe. I like to see that they’re understanding it, and then everyone showing love to the show, that’s the coolest thing.”

— Ayanna Kimani, Insecure costume designer

1) A DECLARATION OF LOVE FOR BLACK CULTURE