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It started as a jacket created to represent Mexico abroad. Then, a photograph taken in front of Trump Tower turned it into something much bigger. MEXICO IS THE SHIT, created by Mexican designer Anuar Layón, became a cultural statement built around national pride, creativity and a different way of showing Mexico to the world.
MEXICO IS THE SHIT Wasn’t Created as a Fashion Brand
Unlike what many might assume, MEXICO IS THE SHIT did not begin as a conventional fashion label.
The original jacket was conceived as a uniform for artists participating in events abroad, a piece they could wear to represent Mexico wherever they went. Designed by Anuar Layón in Mexico City, what began as a simple statement of identity would eventually become one of the most recognizable pieces associated with contemporary Mexican design.
The Trump Tower Photo That Changed Everything
The story took an unexpected turn in 2016.
Amid the political rhetoric surrounding Mexico during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, photographer Carlos E. Lang was photographed in front of Trump Tower wearing the MEXICO IS THE SHIT jacket. The image went viral.
Suddenly, the jacket was no longer simply something worn by a group of Mexican creatives. Its provocative phrase became a visual response to the way Mexico was being portrayed abroad, giving the piece a cultural and political resonance far beyond fashion.
From a Provocative Phrase to a Symbol of Mexican Pride
The name inevitably generated controversy. But that tension was also part of its power.
Rather than using the phrase as an insult, MEXICO IS THE SHIT turned it into a declaration of pride: a bold way of saying that Mexican creativity, culture and talent deserve to be celebrated.
As the jacket gained visibility, it began appearing on national and international personalities, helping transform the project into a recognizable symbol of contemporary Mexican identity.
Since then, the brand has expanded beyond the original jacket into clothing and other pieces while collaborating with Mexican and international artists and designers.
Anuar Layón and the Legacy of MEXICO IS THE SHIT
Nearly a decade after the jacket first appeared, its story says as much about Mexico as it does about fashion.
What started as a garment created for a group of artists became a cultural statement capable of crossing borders precisely because it did not try to present a polished or stereotypical version of the country.
It was direct, irreverent and proudly Mexican.
That is perhaps why MEXICO IS THE SHIT continues to resonate: behind the provocative name is a simple idea—the confidence to celebrate what Mexico creates and to show it to the world on its own terms.
MEXICO IS THE SHIT is more than a phrase. It is a statement.
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MITS, Statement, Alan González S. ©