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By Samantha Edwards

It all began in 1972. Labyris Books, the first women’s bookstore in New York City, opened that year, and along with it, birthed a slogan that would become a modern feminist rallying cry. The bookstore had a shirt designed for it, a simple white t-shirt with the words “The Future Is Female” in blue bold letters.

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Fast forward to 2015 when graphic designer Rachel Berks saw a photo from 1975 on Instagram of musician and activist Alix Dobkin taken by her girlfriend at the time, Liza Cowan. Berks re-posted the image on her Los Angeles shop Otherwild’s Instagram account, and she was overwhelmed with the number of requests asking her to remake the shirt. Berks modernized the original 1970s version and created 24 shirts.

Within 48 hours, she sold out and started working on the next run.

Throughout the 2016 American presidential election, the shirt gained new political meaning as young women proudly donned it at Hillary Clinton rallies and in Instagram selfies paired with #ImWithHer buttons. So when Donald Trump was elected on November 8, Berks figured sales for the t-shirt would slow down.