Legendary fashion designer Katharine Hamnett has binned her CBE in protest against Britain’s ongoing involvement in Israel’s assault on Gaza, adding that she believes Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer belong “in the dustbin” too.
The 76-year-old designer and activist, who was awarded a CBE in 2011, shared a video on Instagram earlier this week in which she drops her CBE into a black wheelie bin while wearing a black slogan T-shirt which reads “Disgusted To Be British” in brown lettering.
“This is my CBE,” she says in the video. “It belongs in the dustbin, with Sunak and Starmer.” She then urges viewers to visit theyworkforyou.com and “find your MP and tell them you will never vote for them again unless they support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
Hamnett, of course, is widely known for her outspoken nature and creating punchy political slogan tees. Notably, in 1984 she met Margaret Thatcher while wearing a t-shirt that read “58 per cent don’t want Pershing” in protest against nuclear missiles. Writing about the incident in 2018, Hamnett claimed that Thatcher “let out a squawk, like a chicken” when she read the message on the shirt.
Hamnett also created T-shirts with the slogan“Stop War. Blair Out” in protest against the Iraq war while Tony Blair was prime minister. Other famous T-shirts slogans created by Hamnett include “Make Trade Fair”, “Save The Future” and “Women Against Wars”.
“Disgusted To Be British” T-shirts are available to buy here for £30.