This all started with a name…
I remember the first time I heard the phrase, “being a Karen.”
I was mortified.
I honestly thought someone was taking the mickey.
Growing up, I was always proud that, according to the name books, Karen meant
pure or innocent.
Then somewhere along the way, Karen became something else.
A nightmare.
Then came COVID.
Bunnings.
Viral videos.
Karen’s Diner.
Suddenly “Karen” wasn’t just a name anymore.
It became a label.
A shortcut.
A way to dismiss women without listening to what they were saying.
Hang on.
I’m not ‘A’ Karen.
I am Karen.
And most of the Karens I know are bloody great.
They’re mothers.
Daughters.
Friends.
Workers.
Neighbours.
Volunteers.
Carers.
Leaders.
Women who’ve lived a bit.
Women who’ve survived things you might never know about.
Women who keep showing up anyway.
This was never really about a name.
It was about what happens when we stop seeing the person behind it.
When we decide we know everything about someone from thirty seconds on a phone screen.
When a label becomes louder than a life.
None of us should be reduced to a stereotype.
None of us should be defined by our worst moment.
Because none of us are just one moment.
And women are so much more than a meme.
So I started I AM KAREN.
Not to defend a name.
But to start a conversation.
About respect.
About assumptions.
About kindness.
About seeing the human being before the headline.
Because if it can happen to Karen, it can happen to anyone.
The First Drop
The first I AM KAREN T-shirts are now available for pre-order.
Limited to 100 shirts in the first production run.
This first edition marks the beginning of something bigger.
You don’t need to be called Karen.
You simply need to believe people deserve better than labels.
$60 AUD
✔ Premium heavyweight cotton
✔ Printed in Australia
✔ Unisex fit
✔ Limited first edition
