Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of Berry Gordy Jr founding the label in Detroit, Michigan, Carhartt WIP has created a thirteen-piece capsule collection that celebrates the idiosyncrasies of an imprint that reshaped American culture.

In 1959, after a relative degree of success writing songs for artists, Gordy Jr founded Tamla Records, which would lay the foundations for Motown – a name that nodded to Detroit’s motor-manufacturing heritage. Similar to the assembly lines of Ford Motors, where he had previously worked, Gordy Jr set about establishing his own conveyor belt, cranking out hits and establishing 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.

The collaboration will be marked by an event on November 13th at 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 our three-part documentary series in collaboration with Dazed and NTS. This will be complemented by a series of local events in cities such as Paris, Lisbon, Verona, and Seoul running from the 13th to the 16th. Check out your local Carhartt WIP store’s social media channels for events in your area.

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