Stickers, totes and T-shirts: designers crank out RBG merchandise after justice's death

Oct. 16--Last month, Audrey Brown was having dinner with her 5-year-old when she saw an alert on her phone. She read it, put her hands on her chest and tried to catch her breath.

"What's wrong?" her daughter asked.

It was something Brown knew was coming, but she still couldn't believe had happened. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was dead at age 87.

The second woman to sit on the highest court in the nation had long been a giant in gender equality, arguing six cases in front of the Supreme Court in the 1970s. But it was a more recent transformation as a pop cultural touchpoint that endeared her to legions of fans. Her rebranding as the "Notorious RBG" by a New York University law student sparked a cottage industry of Ginsburg-themed clothing, posters, magnets and mugs. Talk show appearances, "Saturday Night Live" sendups, a documentary and a Hollywood biopic further cemented the legacy of the soft-spoken octogenarian.

In the weeks since her death, local designers and shop owners have hustled to meet the demand for merchandise emblazoned with Ginsburg quotes, "dissent collars" or her unmistakable silhouette. Some have accelerated the release of already-planned product lines, while others cranked out new T-shirts, jewelry, bags and blankets. They expect the surge in interest to continue through the presidential election and the confirmation process for Ginsburg's replacement, nominee Amy Coney Barrett.

Brown, who lives in south St. Louis, had already included Ginsburg in the "bad-ass women" series of stickers she sells through her Etsy shop. Orders tripled the weekend after Ginsburg's death.

The stickers are signifiers, Brown said: "It's been such a polarizing political year, and people want to make a statement however they can. It lets you know who your people are."

Elizabeth Griessow of Brentwood finally bought a tote last month that she had been eyeing for a while at Union Studio in Botanical Heights. The print of Ginsburg includes a quote scrawled across her robe: "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made."

"It gives me pride to carry a little bit of her with me," said Griessow. "I always get feedback. It's that connection with people that's really neat."

The bag was designed by Mary Grayson Batts, who started Onward Designs three years ago as a small side business while she worked and went to school. But in the weeks since Ginsburg's death, she has been busier than ever, shipping stickers, prints and bags across the country and as far away as Scotland.

Batts, who lives in the Central West End, had mixed feelings about the idea that she was making money from Ginsburg's death. She decided to donate proceeds from any sales through the election to the Center for Reproductive Rights, a cause she thinks Ginsburg would support.

As a woman, Batts admires Ginsburg's strength and tenacity. As a designer, she finds the diminutive justice an ideal subject.

"Her hairstyle, glasses, collar -- she's very graphic and recognizable as an icon," said Batts.

'It became contagious'

Seven years ago, a cockeyed crown helped propel Ginsburg's larger-than-life persona. The women's rights crusader had been on the Supreme Court for two decades when the playful comparison to outsized rapper Notorious B.I.G., from a Tumblr account by Shana Knizhnik, elevated her to superhero status. A "Notorious RBG" book followed in 2015.

"It caused people to want to learn about her. It became contagious for women and girls," said Courtenay Daum, a professor of political science at Colorado State University. "You can't learn about her life and not be blown away by it."

In the past few years, Ginsburg superfans hung on her every dissent, followed her workouts in an exercise book written by her trainer -- spoofed by Kate McKinnon on "Saturday Night Live" -- and bought dolls, coloring books and tiny black dress-up robes for their little girls.

But the fascination goes beyond lace jabots and "Super Diva!" sweatshirts. What can look like commercialization has deeper implications.

"It's a way to own your own power," said Daum, who specializes in gender and the law. "Women realized in the twilight of her career that they needed to continue the work she started."

For Maggie Mundwiller of 314 Handcrafted, creating memorabilia is a way to channel her grief. Over the summer, she had started planning a gift collection of RBG blankets, hairbows, coffee mugs and keychains to roll out before Christmas.

The night Ginsburg died, Mundwiller stayed up late and resolved to expedite the launch.

"I decided it would be a disservice not to push forward," said Mundwiller, who lives in south St. Louis County. She took 50 orders in the first few days, replenishing her stock in time to hold a few pop-up sales this month.

April Tate of St. Louis also had to fast-forward her process. She makes felt stuffed animals and rag dolls for her Etsy shop, Riley Construction.

"It was sprint and breathe, sprint and breathe," she said of piecing together the 12-inch Ginsburgs, who wear embroidered glasses and green pompom earrings, their yarn hair pulled back into gray-flecked buns.

Usually, Tate makes more generic characters: unicorns, mermaids and forest gnomes. She wasn't sure people would take to an RBG doll, but mothers and grandmothers, especially, have snapped them up.

"There aren't so many iconic women. I wish there were more," said Tate. "I think people are hungry for it."

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