In today’s instalment of ‘news that presumably makes some sense to someone somewhere’, the Grateful Dead have launched a new range of merchandise in collaboration with Selfridges.
Taking inspiration from the Dead’s tenth studio album Shakedown Street - an album which failed to chart in the UK - and “the recent rise in the popularity of gardening amongst consumers” we’re told, the Shakedown Garden collection gives the classic Grateful Dead aesthetic of tie-dye, skulls, bears and roses a botanical spin.
A press release for the collection states: “Drawing upon designs from Grateful Dead’s classic imagery archive, and communicating the importance of sustainability to the band, the 16-piece range features apparel that uses organic blanks and vegan inks for any print work, debuting new artwork and exclusive designs for both dedicated Dead Heads and those after their latest fashion fix.
Evoking memories of the Summer of Love and psychedelia, the colourful unisex collection features t-shirts, hoodies, sweats, a knitted blanket, cap, mug, and an eco water bottle, plus a flowerpot and gardening gloves for those with green fingers.”
And why not, eh?
In a further attempt to shine a light upon this new collaboration, Grateful Dead Archivist and Legacy Manage David Lemieux says, “The Grateful Dead played England more than 20 times, with 20 shows in London alone, along with a few other shows around the UK throughout their performing career. Their first show outside of North America, more than 50 years ago in May 1970, was in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, and over the next 20 years they played some of their best live performances in England, including bona fide classics in 1972 and 1974.”
“It's a thrill to have the Grateful Dead with such a prominent presence in Selfridges. A retail institution with more than 100 of history is the perfect fit for the Grateful Dead, with their more than 55 years of cultural and musical history, and we're all thrilled to be bringing the Shakedown Garden collection to Selfridges.”
To celebrate the launch of Shakedown Garden, a special episode of ‘The Good Ol’ Grateful Dead Podcast’ has just launched, dedicated to the band’s history in the UK.
