We’re taking over the world with the meme lord himself, one tee at a time. As soon as we met Adam, last year, we knew that he was one of the guys who gets us. And we get him—his hilarious creations keep us endlessly entertained. So, why not work together to bring the meme world into the real world?
We caught up with Adam in New York City to chat about our limited-edition collaboration, the thrill of making real things and why T-shirts are so important to him—and for personal style, in general.
You make memes on a daily basis, but you also make tangible products, right?
Yeah, I spend a lot of time building brands at BrandFire, my agency. At the end of that, there’s the making of physical products, putting them on shelves and seeing people touch them, pick them up—it’s thrilling. Plus, I like to sculpt and I’m getting involved in a gallery show. We’re thinking about different media—I might paint some of my memes to bring them to life.
You used the word thrilling. Why do you find making physical products so exciting? Is it because we’re in a world dominated by the online world—URL over IRL?
For me, I started my creative journey making tangible products. I’m 43 now—I’m not a digital baby—and when I started being a creative, there wasn’t Photoshop and Instagram, so my roots are in physical products. It’s thrilling and exciting because you’re transforming an idea into something real and tactile.
I actually used to work as a creative director at a T-shirt shop in Long Island in the ‘90s. I worked in the art department, but it was very close to where they’d do the printing, so I’d design them in my office then they’d come out a few meters away. I loved seeing the shirts come off the line; I loved the smell of it and picking them up off the press, when they were still hot. I’d get into mixing the colors. Being able to touch, and feel, and see, and smell my ideas—I got such a thrill out of seeing things come to life. It was extremely gratifying—being able to wear a T-shirt I designed and then seeing other people wear it. I feel the same way about these tees we’re making.
Speaking of the collaboration — where does the design come from?
For me, I started my creative journey making tangible products. I’m 43 now—I’m not a digital baby—and when I started being a creative, there wasn’t Photoshop and Instagram, so my roots are in physical products. It’s thrilling and exciting because you’re transforming an idea into something real and tactile.
I actually used to work as a creative director at a T-shirt shop in Long Island in the ‘90s. I worked in the art department, but it was very close to where they’d do the printing, so I’d design them in my office then they’d come out a few meters away. I loved seeing the shirts come off the line; I loved the smell of it and picking them up off the press, when they were still hot. I’d get into mixing the colors. Being able to touch, and feel, and see, and smell my ideas—I got such a thrill out of seeing things come to life. It was extremely gratifying—being able to wear a T-shirt I designed and then seeing other people wear it. I feel the same way about these tees we’re making.
What do you think the appeal of T-shirts is? Like—why choose the T-shirt as medium to bring the meme world into real life?
Well, for one—I love T-shirts and collect them. You have your favorite ones that you love, whether it’s from a musician or an artist collaboration or from a brand. It becomes this perfect expression of who you are and what you like and how you feel. It’s kind of the meme-equivalent of an article of clothing: It’s not necessarily a heavy investment and becomes accessible to everybody. Anybody can make a meme or consume a meme, just like anybody can make a T-shirt or wear one.
So it’s super accessible, but, at the same time, you can elevate it. You can wear a T-shirt with a blazer, or under a nice hoodie. You can dress it up, you can make it a staple of your wardrobe, you can wear it when you’re just hanging out. It’s the most versatile and accessible piece of clothing.
But I really think it comes back to expressiveness. That’s what people are tapping into when they wear a bright tee or a graphic tee—they’re showing people how they feel and what they’re into. A T-shirt strikes the perfect balance between culture and art and accessibility.
