After Taylor Swift was spotted wearing a vintage Monterey Bay Aquarium otter t-shirt in the official release party film for her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, Swifties naturally wanted one of their own. In response, the California aquarium reissued the design to raise funds for its Sea Otter Program, and fans quickly jumped on the opportunity to do good while following in their idol’s footsteps.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium launched the campaign after witnessing a surge in $13 donations to support the Sea Otter Program. After tracking down the original 1990s artwork, the aquarium reissued the t-shirt using PVC-free, water-based ink from Maine’s Liberty Graphics and 100% cotton material that doesn’t shed microplastics in the wash.
Available to donors who contributed at least $65.13, the limited edition tee was placed on backorder around 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 16th, shortly after the fundraiser officially reached its $1.3 million goal in just seven hours.
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As of publishing, donations have surpassed $2 million, with Swifties celebrating the accomplishment on Reddit and beyond. Swift and her fiancé, Travis Kelce, previously spoke about their shared love for sea otters on his New Heights podcast in August.
Meanwhile, The Life of a Showgirl moved a whopping 4.002 million equivalent album units during its first sales week, smashing Adele’s modern era record. Swift now holds 15 No. 1 albums, breaking a tie with Drake and JAY-Z for the most chart-toppers among solo artists. Pick up your copy here.