Patrice Lumumba Classic | Women's organic cotton t-shirt

A simple silhouette, a gaze that transcends time. This United Souls women's t-shirt features Lumumba Classic, the first drawing in the collection, signed by Marie-Claire Laffaire. Rendered in black and white pencil, the portrait of Patrice Lumumba invites you to carry a memory and keep a struggle for emancipation alive beyond a single life.

With its ribbed collar and straight cut, this piece pairs perfectly with jeans or tucked under a jacket. Its 180 g/m² combed, ring-spun organic cotton showcases the portrait on light, pastel backgrounds: Bubble Pink, lavender, heather gray, off-white, or white. The garment colors change, but the Classic design remains in black and white.

A creation by Marie-Claire Laffaire

Trained at the Fine Arts School in Toulouse, Marie-Claire Laffaire worked in architectural illustration and poster design before dedicating her artistic practice to memory through drawing. Her pencil portrait of Patrice Lumumba, created by removing material, resonates with the mission of United Souls: to preserve a gaze, transmit a memory, and keep a fight for emancipation alive.

The Classic version keeps the drawing in black and white, without the pastel veil of Lumumba Color or the reinterpretation by Fred Ebami for Lumumba Pop Art. For United Souls, the strength of this gaze evokes the determination and hope of a free and sovereign Congo.

T-shirt features

• 100% combed, ring-spun organic cotton
• Fabric weight: 180 g/m² (5.3 oz/yd²)
• Straight cut
• The fabric of this product holds certifications for its organic cotton content

*Sizes run larger on the European market. Customers in this region should order one size down.

THE MARTYR OF INDEPENDENCE

PATRICE EMERY LUMUMBA (1925-1961) - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

A major figure in Congolese independence, Patrice Lumumba became Prime Minister in 1960. His June 30th speech denounced the violence and humiliations of Belgian colonialism. In a country beset by crisis and foreign interference, he defended the sovereignty of the Congo and a pan-African vision of emancipation. Arrested and then assassinated in January 1961 along with Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito, he remains a figure of memory and resistance, a symbol of an independence that must be defended beyond its proclamation.

A creation by artist Marie-Claire Laffaire

Size guide