Discover how history and solidarity combine to create a unique collection of fair and organic clothing and the perfect gift.
Culture of remembrance and lived resistance
What if a simple T-shirt could be more than just a piece of clothing? If it could tell stories, make struggles visible, and bridge the gap between past, present, and future? This is precisely what the Working Class History collection from dna merch does . It's not just fashion, but rather an expression of paying tribute to the collective efforts for a better world and keeping their memories alive. And you can literally carry on wearing all these struggles and stories every day!
Wear, remember, change: Clothing as a political statement
Our clothing can do much more than make us look good. It can express a stance. It can spark conversations. It can inspire or provoke others. Especially when, as with dna merch, it stands for something greater not only through the motif but also through its production: fairness, solidarity, and change.
The T-shirts in the Working Class History series address a wide variety of events and figures from workers' resistance, the trade union movement, and anti-capitalist struggles. From the Kiel Sailors' Revolt of 1918 to the March strikes in northern Italy in 1944 to the anti-colonial resistance of indigenous peoples in South America and queer Black thought leaders from the USA, each motif tells a story. Your clothing thus becomes a memory. And an action.
Who's behind dna merch? A mission with real impact
dna merch isn't a traditional fashion label shop. The platform sees itself as part of an international movement for better working conditions and democratic production methods. The T-shirts aren't produced under questionable conditions anywhere, but at Humana Nova, a self-managed workers' cooperative in Croatia. Here, the workers themselves decide on working hours, wages, profits, and structures. No boss, no piecework wages. Instead, humanity, dignity, and solidarity.
In addition, a fixed portion of each sale goes to the global worker network ExChains, which advocates for the rights of textile workers in South Asia and retail employees in Europe. At dna merch, this contribution is called the Worker Empowerment Contribution (WEC). It's not just symbolism, but a lived responsibility.
"Carrying on the fight" isn't just a cliché at dna merch. It's the idea that change begins with what we wear every day and how it came to be.
Working Class History: A collection that carries history(s)
The collection was born out of a collaboration with Working Class History, an international collective that documents forgotten and suppressed struggles from below, from the perspectives of those who led them. A new shirt design has been released every month since 2021. Each one not only tells a story but also visibly brings resistance into everyday life.
Here are a few examples of the now almost 50 motifs that not only tell stories – but also bring them to life on sustainable fabric:
“Love Mutiny”: The Kiel Sailors’ Revolt
Click on the image or here to go directly to the “Love Mutiny” t-shirt
November 1918: The Kiel Sailors' Revolt brings down the German Empire and initiates the November Revolution. What begins as a mutiny becomes a symbol of collective resistance and revolutionary courage.
The design—a ship with a red heart and the words "Mutiny"—was created by Henry of Steeltown Records. It represents the heart of every revolution: people united against barbarism and oppression.
Material : 100% organic cotton, cooperatively sewn in Europe, environmentally friendly digital printing.
“Environmental protection without class struggle is just gardening”: Chico Mendes
Click on the image or here to go directly to the “Environmentalism Without Class Struggle” t-shirt
Chico Mendes was a rubber tapper, trade unionist, and environmental activist—and was murdered in 1988 for fighting against exploitation and environmental destruction. This shirt is dedicated to his legacy: the inextricable connection between class struggle and climate justice. And it is for a movement that is more relevant and timely today than ever before.
“Powerful and Dangerous”: Audre Lorde
Click on the image or here to go directly to the “Powerful and Dangerous” t-shirt
Audre Lorde described herself as a Black woman, a lesbian, a feminist, a socialist, a mother, a warrior, and a poet. Her activism and lyrics continue to encourage and challenge people to raise their voices and empower themselves. This T-shirt celebrates one of her many famous quotes, "Women are powerful and dangerous."
A piece of clothing as a feminist and intersectional manifesto.
“Won't fight no rich man's war”: Muhammad Ali
Click on the image or here to go directly to the “Muhammad Ali” t-shirt
Muhammad Ali refused military service during the Vietnam War, arguing that he personally had no problem with the people of Vietnam. He would therefore not go to war against them on behalf of the wealthy and ruling class of the United States. For this stance, he lost his title, prestige, and freedom. This shirt commemorates his courage—and that resistance sometimes means saying "no."
Fair. Cooperative. Empowering.
Each unisex T-shirt in this collection is:
· Organic, fair and sustainably produced
· Manufactured cooperatively at Humana Nova in Europe
· With direct impact: Your purchase supports ExChains through the WEC
· Made-to-order: No mass production, no waste
The workers who sew these T-shirts make their own decisions about their work. And your order becomes part of their empowerment. It's a statement—not just on the fabric, but in the world.
Why “Carry the Fight (Forward)”?
The title of this collection is more than a slogan. It sums up what it's all about: making resistance visible. Keeping stories alive. Taking responsibility.
In times when right-wing narratives and exploitation are becoming louder again, a culture of remembrance is not a luxury. It is necessary. And it sometimes begins with a conversation about a T-shirt.
A shirt is a start – your purchase is a contribution
You don't have to start a revolution to be part of one.
Maybe it's enough to wear a piece of it on your chest – on your next stroll through town, at a festival, or during a strike. Because fashion can do more. And so can you.
👉 Visit the Working Class History collection now
Share the idea
If you like what you read and wear here, share the story.
Tell your friends about it. Show off your shirt on social media. Make the memory loud.
Let us continue the fight together – on fabric, on the streets, in our hearts.