Rachel Antonoff

Rachel Antonoff (born June 15, 1981) is an American fashion designer known for her detailed and vintage clothing and their political themes, especially activism. She launched her label in 2008, drawing attention for products such as her “reproductive tee” and slogan sweatshirts that blend activism with style. Her designs have been worn by celebrities such as Lena Dunham and Zooey Deschanel, and her unconventional fashion presentations—often involving musical theater and short films—have earned her a reputation for creativity and inclusivity. A longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights, Antonoff is also a co-founder of The Ally Coalition. She is the sister of musician Jack Antonoff.

Early life and interest Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, Rachel Antonoff was raised in nearby New Milford, where she and her brother Jack Antonoff, singer and songwriter of Bleachers and lead guitarist of the indie rock band Fun, would commute to the Upper West Side to attend the Professional Children's School where Rachel studied theater. Her younger sister, Sarah, died of brain cancer at the age of 13. Growing up, Rachel and her brother Jack became very involved in the punk rock and hardcore music scene in the 1990s. When Jack went on tour with his band around the country, Rachel tagged along. Later Antonoff attributed this experience with influencing the way in which she creates. During her twenties, she attended Fordham University and briefly worked as a freelance writer after graduation. During the same time, Antonoff loved clothing and frequently discussed designing clothes with her roommate at the time.

When Antonoff was 22, she and her roommate and best friend began their fashion business, Mooka Kinney. They took three print designs and some fabric to their childhood neighbor and seamstress in New Jersey who sewed six samples in her basement. The first dress was called the "Swan Dress," a sleeveless baby doll mini dress Notable items include the “reproductive tee,” worn by Lena Dunham, and slogans like “Hysterical Female” and “I’m With Her.”

In 2015, director and actress Lena Dunham promoted Antonoff's collaboration with & Other Stories in a short film called Vote Audrey. Dunham famously wore Antonoff's Uterus Sweater to a Planned Parenthood event where she then auctioned it off to raise an additional $4,000 for the cause. The text of her popular 2013 "I'm With Her" sweatshirt descended into politics after Hillary Clinton's campaign adopted I'm With Her as the campaign's slogan. Antonoff starred in and was the creative director for the music video for Tegan and Sara's "Boyfriend" in 2016.

Activism Antonoff and members of the band Fun formed The Ally Coalition, or TAC, to encourage those in the fashion and entertainment industries to use their influence to end discrimination against LGBTQ people. She has long been fighting for LGBTQ equality and donates a percentage of the proceeds from her collections to support organizations that share the same goals. Antonoff also offered her support to a number of other organizations including GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, and Freedom To Marry.

From 2009 to 2013, Antonoff dated musician Nate Ruess. For Antonoff's brother's band Steel Train, she and Ruess both provided backing vocals for the song "Dakota" from the 2007 album Trampoline. Her brother and Ruess were both in the band Fun. Antonoff sang on a few songs for Fun, and acted in the widely seen video for "We Are Young", the band's biggest hit.