Nain Rouge Detroit T-Shirt 2014 Red Matt Dye

A City Bird exclusive, this fanciful t-shirt is the most popular design we've ever produced as part of our series celebrating La Marche du Nain Rouge. This super soft tee features a design by talented Detroit-based cartoonist and illustrator Matt Dye. Printed in yellow on a dark red heather shirt, this design features a charming, yet menacing Nain baring his teeth. Produced by City Bird and printed in Detroit on a US-made shirt.

La Marche du Nain Rouge is an annual local tradition featuring a colorful, Mardi Gras-style participatory parade, and other festivities. The legend of Le Nain Rouge goes something like this (from www.marchedunainrouge.com): “More than 300 years ago, around the same time the city of Detroit was founded, an evil was discovered in and around the city that has plagued the people and the city, and even wreaked havoc upon the founder of Detroit, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. This ‘evil’ was said to have been a Nain Rouge, otherwise known as the ‘red dwarf of Detroit.’ This malevolent spirit cursed generations and brought ill tidings for many Detroiters. It wasn’t until La Marche du Nain Rouge, held the Saturday closest to the vernal (Spring) Equinox, did the people of Detroit come together to banish Le Nain Rouge.”