Carhartt WIP launches collaboration paying tribute to Fela Kuti

By

Christel Divert

Published
Apr 5, 2019

Carhartt WIP has kicked off April to the rhythm of afrobeat. On Thursday, April 4, the streetwear label launched a collaboration paying tribute to the founding father of the genre, Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. The capsule takes its inspiration from the album covers of discs such as Expensive Shit, but also from the lyrics of songs like "Ye Ye de Smell" and "Puff Puff Pass", reinterpreted as graphic logos. 

"Fela" also appears as an all-over graphic print on some pieces. The collection includes t-shirts, shirts, shorts, bucket hats and caps, while Kuti's 1986 album Live in Detroit has also been re-released in a limited-edition vinyl run of 500 copies to mark the occasion. 

The Fela Kuti x Carhartt WIP capsule is now available at Carhartt WIP stores, as well as on the brand's e-commerce site and at select retailers. 

A number of events have been organised for the launch, including a concert and the screening of a film by Nigerian artist Akinola Davies in London, and a range of other festivities in Paris and New York. Every part of the collaboration has been conceived in collaboration with the beneficiaries of the activist and artist whose cultural impact spans far beyond Africa, namely the Fela Anikulapo Kuti Estate, along with the musician's former manager and the music label that edited his discs, Knitting Factory records.