Gilles De Rais – Make France Great Again

France has long been a land of kings, revolutionaries, and cultural icons—but beneath its elegant châteaux and romanticized history lies a much darker legacy. Hate Couture’s Make France Great Again T-shirt takes a savage, satirical stab at national pride, reclaiming one of France’s most controversial historical figures—Gilles de Rais, the knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc before becoming one of history’s first recorded serial killers.

Forget your sanitized history books—this shirt is a battle cry for the dark past, a reminder that the foundations of “grandeur” were often built on blood, fire, and unspeakable horrors.

Design Breakdown: Medieval Glory Meets Unholy Terror

At first glance, the Make France Great Again design seems to celebrate medieval French chivalry and power, but like everything Hate Couture produces, there’s a twisted truth lurking beneath the surface.

Gilles de Rais: The Fallen Knight

Dominating the design is Gilles de Rais himself, depicted in full medieval regalia, clad in the armor of a French war hero. His gaze is fierce, his posture commanding—after all, this is the man who once stood beside Joan of Arc, leading armies in battle and securing legendary victories.

But the cracks in the myth begin to show. His armor is stained, his noble insignia tarnished, and a closer look reveals symbols of death, corruption, and occult forces woven into the background. This is not just a knight—this is a man whose hunger for power, wealth, and dark knowledge led him down a path of black magic, torture, and mass murder.

The Slogan: A Satirical Twist on Power and Nationalism

Across the top of the design, the phrase “Make France Great Again” is emblazoned in bold medieval-style lettering. A clear satirical jab at modern nationalist rhetoric, this slogan recontextualizes the idea of “greatness”—was France “great” when it was ruled by bloodthirsty nobles and warlords? Was Gilles de Rais a tragic figure, a product of his time, or simply the embodiment of aristocratic madness?

Instead of waving flags and glorifying the past, this shirt forces the wearer—and anyone who dares to read it—to question what “greatness” really means when history is soaked in violence and twisted ambition.

Dark Symbolism & Hidden Details

The design is layered with cryptic imagery drawn from both medieval and occult aesthetics:

• The decayed fleur-de-lis, France’s royal symbol, now cracked and dripping like a forgotten relic of a corrupt empire.
• Alchemical sigils and demonic engravings, referencing de Rais’ infamous alleged dabbling in black magic and attempts to summon infernal forces.
• A spectral Joan of Arc, faintly visible in the background, her ghostly presence a stark contrast to her former ally’s descent into darkness.
• The executioner’s rope, a nod to de Rais’ eventual capture, trial, and hanging—because even noble monsters eventually face their reckoning.

A Shirt for Those Who Know That History is Written in Blood

Hate Couture’s Make France Great Again T-shirt isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for those who:

• Reject sanitized versions of history and embrace its gritty, brutal reality.
• Love medieval horror, true crime, and gothic aesthetics.
• Understand that the so-called “great” figures of history were often its greatest villains.
• Enjoy provoking thought, controversy, and maybe just a little outrage.

This isn’t just a T-shirt—it’s a middle finger to historical revisionism, a challenge to the myths of “great leaders,” and a darkly humorous reflection on power, corruption, and the horrors hidden beneath the banners of war.

Because if “greatness” means conquest, bloodshed, and unchecked power, then France was never greater than in the days of Gilles de Rais.

Wear it, embrace the darkness, and let history speak for itself.