A Bronx fashion-design company has partnered with Netflix to release T-shirts inspired by the documentary “Knock Down the House.”
The Bronx Native shirts, which will be given away at select “Knock Down the House” screenings across the country, feature a quote by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “For one of us to make it, a hundred of us have to try.”
In the documentary, which was released on May 1 and follows Ocasio-Cortez and three other women as they mount 2018 primary challenges against House Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez is heard saying those words over the phone to Amy Vilela, who had just lost a congressional race in Nevada.
The message of female empowerment in “Knock Down the House” inspired the founders of Bronx Native, which aims to highlight the strength and beauty of the Bronx through apparel and art.
“We believe the message shared by the four women in ‘Knock Down The House’ should live beyond the medium of film,” Bronx Native co-founder Amaurys Grullon said in a statement. “We’re so excited to be a part of this movement, as it not only allows us to create and design for a subject we’re passionate about, but also brings to life the ambition and strength of the Bronx in a more tangible way.”
The partnership with Bronx Native also spreads a message of courage, Ocasio-Cortez said.
“If we choose to be brave, we don’t have to be anxious about our future. That is what this film, and now this partnership with Bronx Native, means to me,” she said in a statement. “We can be whatever we have the courage to see.”
Netflix will feature the T-shirts in a social media campaign that will ask people to share what they want to “knock down.”
IF YOU GO: Local ‘Knock Down the House’ screenings can be found at screenings.knockdownthehouse.com.
