Merch took over 2016.

While fast fashion companies, like Zara and H&M, failed us with predictable designs and a tired ‘70s aesthetic, celebrity merch had a moment. In fact, merch inspired fast fashion companies. Kanye Wests puts calligraphy on a couple shirts, and suddenly everybody is covering their lines in loopy “O”s and curly “G”s.

Celebrity merch in 2016 is paradoxically more accessible and fashionably limited. No longer do fans have to prove their love to an artist by going to a concert and buying a shirt with tour dates. Drake, Kanye, Kylie Jenner, Justin Bieber, Frank Ocean, and The Weeknd all launched temporary physical and virtual pop-up shops this year. Much of the outfits were limited to small retail batches and…

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