Utopian Design: Pangaea Project’s Charitable Tees

T-shirts are a dime-a-dozen these days, but when you see Pangaea Project's designs, you'll instantly know they're special. Spearheaded by Chrissie Lam, the Pangaea T-shirt Project is an effort to "connect artists and activists, communities and causes," and profits benefit her efforts in Rwanda and other developing nations. Made from super-soft organic tees donated by Save Khaki and others, with some made in Uganda, the shirts are emblazoned with quirky graphics by artists like Bryan Collins, Steve Green, Chris McNally (pictured above), and Jon Theiss (pictured below, left).

Artist and designer Lincoln Mayne volunteered to screenprint the designs himself. Lam's goals include "raising awareness and funds to help sponsor orphans, and filming genocide survivor testimonies." Check out her blog at www.createforacause.com for Lam's personal anecdotes of her volunteer work, as well as photos of her Rwandan experiences and the collection's tees. "The locals, NGO workers, journalists, photographers and filmmakers are all so inspiring and interesting," says Lam. The shirts she's commissioned are just as inspiring, and there's a design for everyone in this collection—one top is printed with a sketch of two colorful hands waving hello, while another sports bright red hearts and arrows that make up the African continent. What better way to wear your heart on your sleeve?