MOTOWN x Carhartt WIP Collaborate for A/W’19 Collection

Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of 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. 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.

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 in Motown’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.

The collection is rounded off with a co- branded 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 Reeves and the Vandellas, as well as the first showing of “Showing Up, Showing Out”, the final installation of a 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 favourite Motown classics.

Bailey Moss

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