Carhartt WIP X MOTOWN

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Berry Gordy Jr. founding the label in
Detroit, Michigan, the thirteen-piece capsule
collection sees Carhartt WIP celebrate
the idiosyncrasies of a label that
reshaped American culture.
In 1959, after a relative degree of success
writing songs for artists, Mr. Gordy
founded Motown Records – a nod to
Detroit’s motor-manufacturing heritage.

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He swiftly set about establishing global
stars at a remarkable rate; Diana Ross
and the Supremes, The Four Tops, Stevie
Wonder, The Jackson 5, and Marvin
Gaye all passed through the hallowed
doors of Motown’s humble two-story
house-turned-recording studio on West
Grand Boulevard.

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It is not hyperbolic to say that Motown
irrevocably changed the face of American
music, in such a way that its influence
can still be felt today. Indeed, Motown
didn’t simply reconfigure what hits of
that era sounded like, but it also played
an instrumental role in diversifying the
airwaves of America’s radio stations.
This exclusive capsule collection riffs on
imagery and ephemera found inMotown’s archive and back-catalogue.
A sateen bomber and rolled beanie both
nod to the cover art and promotional
pictures that accompanied Marvin Gaye’s
“Let’s Get It On,” while the Snake Pit
Shirt refers to the basement recording
studio in the home that would come to
be known as “Hitsville, USA.” A series of
graphic t-shirts and hoodies pay tribute
to other aspects of Motown’s history, from
its multiple sub-labels, to the 1970 album
“A Pocket Full of Miracles”, by Smokey
Robinson and the Miracles.

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The collection is rounded off with a cobranded record weight and a “lollipop”style DJ headphone by Japanese manufacturer Phonon.

The collaboration will be marked by an event on November 13th at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, with a live performance from Martha Reevesand the Vandellas, as well as the first showing of“Showing Up, Showing Out”, the final installation ofa three-part documentary series in partnership with Dazed and NTS. In addition, this month’s Carhartt WIP Radio show will see renowned DJ Moodymann spinning his favorite Motown classics.

Motown x Carhartt WIP will launch on November 14th at Carhartt WIP stores,  and select retailers worldwide.

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