Where did the viral "Challengers" t-shirt come from?

It's difficult to understand how a certain garment goes viral. Sometimes it's a matter of algorithm, sometimes a matter of perfect marketing orchestration, other times it just happens. And the "I Told Ya" t-shirt by Challengers, also worn by Zendaya and Josh O'Connor in various press appearances, has become famous perhaps due to a mix of all these factors. Beyond the fact that the marketing work behind the fame of the t-shirt has been almost surgical, with very measured yet impactful appearances, and a perfectly calculated timing of its release on the Loewe website, the story of the t-shirt remains something fascinating. As everyone knows, in fact, Jonathan Anderson designed the costumes for the film, recreating a sporty-chic style that becomes increasingly elegant as the protagonists' social ascent progresses. And the t-shirt, worn by both Zendaya and Josh O'Connor in the film, is a reference to the quintessential sporty-chic wardrobe of the '90s: that of John Kennedy Jr. – who became famous decades after his death for the proto-street style photos portraying him with his wife Carolyn Bessette.

Specifically, the t-shirt appeared in the mid-90s in a photo taken of Kennedy Jr. by paparazzi while he was playing frisbee with his dog Wolf in the garden. The phrase written on the shirt is a reference to his father's political career, President Kennedy, who on the occasion of his election in January '61 distributed a commemorative pin to the public with his face, the image of the American Congress, and the red writing: "I told you so". The slogan is famous in the history of the American Democratic Party as it commemorates that moment when Kennedy won the election, surpassing Nixon (who would later become president eight years later) by just 100,000 votes.

And if for the son of the 35th President of the United States the writing had a value halfway between nostalgic and ironic, for Anderson, who was inspired by his preppy yet athletic wardrobe, the quote also had an ironic aftertaste following the many slogan t-shirts that in the early 2000s became famous worn by stars like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. The reference to Kennedy Jr. becomes even more evident considering how Loewe promoted the sale of the t-shirt with a mini-campaign that precisely recreates the shot that immortalized the best-dressed man of the '90s.