May 2, 2020 |
Long before there were mile-long queues outside the likes of Supreme and Palace, and decades ahead of sites such as Grailed and Depop, collecting band merch was the sort of exclusivity the best-dressed kids across the globe sought after. The elation of sporting your favourite tour tee knowing none of your friends had the same one was unmatched. Even to this day, tour tees sell like hotcakes on reselling sites, with people across the globe craving a slice of a concert they probably never attended in the first place.
Opening Ceremony’s Humberto Leon had the idea of turning tour merch into ‘collectible, covetable art editions’. And what better band to do that with than the legendary Beastie Boys? To mark the release of Beastie Boys Story, the Spike Jones-directed documentary of the band, both Leon and Jones called upon the help of a number of artists to design a selection of tees, hoodies and even a boiler suit, celebrating the trio’s legacy. Contributors include former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon, as well as artists Raymond Pettibon, Bill McMullen, Nejc Prah and Geoff McFetridge. Each was asked to create artworks inspired by their favourite Beastie Boys records, from Ill Communication and Paul’s Boutique to Check Your Head. You better grab your piece quick, these are going to be worth a lot of money down the line…
The Opening Ceremony x Beastie Boys collection is available exclusively on Farfetch now.
