Look of the Week: Harris-Walz’s campaign hat says more than you might think

By Oscar Holland, CNN

(CNN) — What do sport hunters and fans of breakout queer pop star Chappell Roan have in common? Well, not much, perhaps. But now you can add at least one item to that list: Kamala Harris’ and Tim Walz’s new campaign cap.

The pair’s first joint merch offering was unveiled Tuesday, just hours after Harris named the Minnesota governor and hunting enthusiast as her presidential running mate. At first glance, their “Harris-Walz” caps presented a classic outdoorsy combination of camo (every hunter’s pattern of choice) and bright orange (used for visibility and avoiding mistaken identity).

However, online commentators were quick to highlight the striking similarity between the design and Roan’s own merchandise — specifically her “Midwestern Princess” trucker hats, which reference her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” Roan’s drag-inspired makeup, theatrical stage looks and honest lyrics about grappling with her sexuality have made her a Gen-Z favorite. Earlier this week, she reportedly drew the largest crowd in history at Lollapalooza festival in Chicago.

After Walz was announced as Harris’ running mate, calls to put the vice presidential nominee — who hails from West Point, Nebraska — in one of Roan’s caps surfaced. “You asked, we answered,” reads the online store listing, in what could be read as an acknowledgement.

The 26-year-old singer-songwriter seemed surprised, posing the question on X, “is this real”? Despite the similar designs, campaign officials told CNN that new merchandise was not a direct reference to Chappell Roan but instead reflected Walz’ own camo hat that he wears frequently as governor. (In fact, he was wearing his when he received the call from Harris inviting him to be her presidential ticket.)

While officially unintentional, the twinning of Walz’ hat and Roan’s merch comes hot off the heels of Harris’ embrace of Charli XCX’s “Brat” green, and appears to some as another instance of her campaign reacting quickly to the Gen-Z zeitgeist.

Designed by Roan’s creative director Ramisha Sattar, the “Midwestern Princess” trucker hats (which also come in khaki and green) have grown in popularity as the Missouri-born musician’s cult following blossoms into a mainstream one. Although released last September, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” has proven something of a sleeper hit and now sits at no.4 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

The Democratic Party’s alignment — even if inadvertent — is in keeping with two of the themes we have already seen in Harris’ short campaign: appearing cool by association and feeding the viral meme-makers who are burnishing her credentials among young voters.

Needless to say, the internet was quick to debate, joke and discuss the hats, with Roan reposting one user’s comical observation about the singer’s LGBTQ following: “How gay do u have to be to see hunting colors and think it’s a Chappell Roan thing.” Others joked about the moment of mutual recognition when “queer millennials/zoomers who like Chappell Roan and white boomers into hunting and fishing (see) each other wearing the camo Harris Walz hat.”

And maybe that’s the point. Producing what is perhaps the only item of merch in existence that could simultaneously speak to the hunting community and Gen-Z hypebeasts is, in itself, a message: that the Democratic ticket is a broad church.

The cap’s other messaging is less subtle: The online store boasts its patriotic credentials of being both “American made” and “union made.” At $40, the Harris-Walz hats are also $10 more expensive than Roan’s, though that is treated as a donation to the Harris Victory Fund.

In equally confident style, the online shop describes the Harris-Walz cap as being the “most iconic hat in America.” Whether they can surpass Trump’s ubiquitous red MAGA hats remains to be seen. But given they won’t even be shipped to customers until mid-October, it may prove a tall order.

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