2017.08.07 - Press Release - Guns N’ Roses Announces Exclusive LA Multi-Brand Retail Experience, ‘Guns N’ Roses Was Here’

Guns N’ Roses Announces Exclusive LA Multi-Brand Retail Experience, ‘Guns N’ Roses Was Here’

In celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of their ground-breaking debut album, Appetite For Destruction, Guns N’ Roses have announced ‘Guns N’ Roses Was Here’: an exclusive retail event in partnership with Maxfield and Bravado that will live in the famed Los Angeles boutique from 11 to 18 August 2017.

‘Guns N’ Roses Was Here’ gives past, present and future GN’R fans a new interpretation of their celebrated 1987 album with limited-edition capsule collections. Maxfield and Bravado sought out top collaborators ranging from unexpected streetwear brands to designers deeply rooted in GN’R’s style, to bring new life to the classic artwork that has transcended time.

Peter Utz, chief branding officer of Maxfield, said: “Music has been a crucial influence in my life since a very young age. Maxfield’s first iteration of this type of model evolved with Daft Punk and the results surpassed all expectations. After that, it felt natural to try and work with other artists I have always admired and Guns N’Roses was at the top of that list. Their interpretation of this series will be dedicated to limited-edition pieces created specifically for the occasion. It’s been incredible to work with the designers, Guns N’ Roses and their management team to celebrate such an iconic album.”

Cult streetwear brands Off-White, Palm Angels, Enfant Riches Déprimés join classic GN’R-inspired designers Amiri, Kelly Cole and MadeWorn to create an unprecedented curated collection that will excite long-time fans of the band as well as engage the next generation of fans.

“With my capsule collection, which was inspired by the band, my aim is for another generation to feel the impact they had on me, through the clothes” stated Virgil Abloh, creative director for Off-White. Francesco Ragazzi of Palm Angel, meanwhile, “loves music and being able to have my brand connected to something so iconic like Guns N’ Roses is a milestone for me and Palm Angels. It’s part of the culture.”

As a long-time fan of the brand, Mike Amiri, founder and creative director of Amiri was especially compelled to participate and stated: “As a brand, we rarely find the synergy needed to participate in an effective collaboration. A good amount of the Amiri aesthetic is directly influenced by my love for the band and I’m really proud to be working on a project so close to my heart.”

As Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose has worn many of Kelly Cole’s t-shirt designs, Kelly stated that he “wanted to make something that stayed true to what we do aesthetically, and also bring the GN’R feeling and iconography into it.”

Article/sort-of-review of the pop-up shop, Los Angeles Times, Aug. 11, 2017:
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Guns N’ Roses marks 30th anniversary of ‘Appetite for Destruction’ with a high-end Maxfield pop-up shop

By Adam Tschorn

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Guns N’ Roses album “Appetite for Destruction” (released by Geffen Records on July 21, 1987), music merchandising company Bravado and West Hollywood’s Maxfield boutique have tapped a handful of of-the-moment designer brands — Off-White, Palm Angels and Enfants Riches Déprimés among them — to create high-end, limited-edition takes on concert-style merchandise to be sold at a GNR-themed pop-up shop that opened its doors today.

The Guns N’ Roses Was Here shop has taken up temporary residence in the Maxfield Gallery space on Melrose that’s just a guitar pick’s toss across the street from Maxfield and has been home to a series of high-profile rotating retail installations for the last year.

For the next week (the pop-up pops down Aug. 18), it will be home to a smashed-up police cruiser, a pile of bent folding chairs, several stacks of amplifiers, a stripper pole (no word as to whether said pole will be staffed throughout, as it was for Thursday night’s launch party) and a whole lot of GNR-themed merchandise ranging from $15 coffee mugs to $2,500 camouflage-print bomber jackets bearing embroidered applique patch versions (one on the back and another on the front) of the Celtic cross and skull design that appeared on the cover of “Appetite.”

The bomber jacket was one of a handful of pieces from L.A.-based Amiri (the same label that was offering a $14,900 Swarovski-embellished motorcycle jacket through Mr Porter’s Made in California collection earlier this year), others included a T-shirt ($325) and destroyed-and-patched denim ($1,490).

Another brand on hand, Off-White (which occupied the space with a pop-up of its own back in December), served up a range of pieces including T-shirts and sweatshirts inspired by GNR album artwork (like the sweatshirt bearing the cross-legged scribe image from the cover of “Use Your Illusion I”) and others frontman Axl Rose had worn onstage over the years (including a T-shirt printed across the front with the declaration “Nobody Knows I’m a Lesbian,” which also appeared on the back of some plaid Off-White long-sleeve button-fronts).

Other labels displayed on the racks against the graffiti-covered walls included L.A. labels Kelly Cole ($750 plaid long-sleeve button-fronts, $250 sleeveless T-shirts and $375 denim shorts) and MadeWorn, Blaine Halvorson’s meticulously-crafted-to-look-vintage studded leather biker vests with Guns N’ Roses patches ($1,500) and patch-covered denim trucker jackets ($300). (On Thursday night we didn’t see anything on the racks from two additional labels in the mix — Enfants Riches Déprimés and Harley-Davidson — but a Bravado representative tells us surprise product drops will take place throughout the week.)

While fans of the band of a certain age will undoubtedly snap up most of the merchandise (well, except maybe the $18 GNR yo-yo — the assortment’s real head-scratcher) and the Maxfield-brokered designer collaborations will likely be worn enthusiastically when Guns N’ Roses’ Not In This Lifetime tour rolls through L.A. in late November, there are a couple of items in the mix that left us with that “what were they thinking?” feeling.

One was a Kelly Cole men’s black sleeveless T-shirt with the words “I used to love her” printed on one side and the silhouette of a female form on the other, with the black-and-white concentric circles of a target over the chest and a red, heart-shaped bull’s-eye in the center. It refers to the song “Used to Love Her,” the first line of which is, “I used to love her but I had to kill her.” It was squirm-inducingly misogynistic enough to listen to when it was released in 1988, but revisiting it in 2017 — with the bull’s-eye graphic thrown in for good measure — glorifies violence against women in an unacceptable way.

The other bit of ugliness came by way of Palm Angels’ T-shirts and hoodies screenprinted with “Guns N’ Roses Was Here” in a graffiti-like tag next to the image of a woman who appears to have been sexually assaulted, her blouse ripped and undergarments askew. The graphic imagery is part of the 1978 Robert Williams painting “Appetite for Destruction,” which, in addition to giving the album its name, was supposed to appear on the cover as well, but was moved inside in favor of the Celtic cross design to avoid controversy.

Authentically retro-offensive? Absolutely. An appropriate way to mark an album anniversary? Not in this lifetime.

Guns N’ Roses Was Here at Maxfield Gallery, 8818 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday through Aug. 18.

https://www.latimes.com/fashion/la-ig-guns-n-roses-maxfield-20170811-story.html

Other merchandise related news; Press Release from Harley-Davidson, Aug. 8, 2017:
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HARLEY-DAVIDSON ANNOUNCES GUNS N’ ROSES CO-BRANDED CAPSULE COLLECTION
Collection Exclusively Available at Participating Harley-Davidson Dealerships Worldwide

MILWAUKEE, AUG 8, 2017 – In honor of this century’s most anticipated and celebrated tour making its way back to the United States, Harley-Davidson is pleased to announce the launch of a special capsule collection, in conjunction with the Guns N’ Roses Not In This Lifetime Tour. Available in early August, the limited-edition line of men and women’s wear, created in partnership with Bravado International Group, Inc., will be sold exclusively at Harley-Davidson dealerships around the world.

“We are excited to partner with Bravado to celebrate Guns N’ Roses as this collaboration brings two brands together in an expression of freedom and rebellion,” said Mary Kay Lee, Director of Harley-Davidson General Merchandise. “The new styles will only be available for a limited time, so visit your local Harley-Davidson dealership to check them out.”

“Harley-Davidson and Guns N’ Roses share in common respect for freedom of expression, passion for life and a dedication to adventure,” said John Burke, Vice President, Harley-Davidson Operations, Bravado. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring a unique collection to both Guns N’ Roses and Harley-Davidson fans and celebrate the homecoming of this epic, global tour.”

Available exclusively at Harley-Davidson dealerships, the capsule collection will include Men’s and Women’s printed shirts, in an assortment of styles and colors. Prices starting at $30 USD.

Not In This Lifetime Tour ticket information available at www.gunsnroses.com

About Harley-Davidson

Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with cruiser, touring and custom motorcycles, riding experiences and events, and a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel. For more information, visit www.h-d.com

About Bravado

Bravado is the leading global provider of consumer, lifestyle and branding services to recording artists and entertainment brands around the world. Part of Universal Music Group, the leader in music-based entertainment, Bravado represents artists in more than 40 cities and provides services including sales, licensing, branding, marketing and e-commerce. Their extensive global distribution network gives artists and brands the opportunity to create deeper connections with their fans through apparel, consumer packaged goods and unique experiences.

*Available at participating Harley-Davidson dealerships. Visit or call your local Harley-Davidson dealership for availability. Collection is manufactured exclusively by Bravado International Group, Inc. Under license from Harley-Davidson Motor Company.