Music merch is having a pretty cool renaissance with several movements happening at once, and each informing the other. On one end of the spectrum we have indie artists leading their own charge by taking advantage of on-demand printing… which allows them a wider array of designs without breaking the bank and forcing the artists to sit on inventory.
And on the other end of the spectrum we have the likes of #JohnVarvatos releasing higher-end exclusives, like his new Pink Floyd collection. Which I do happen to like… though $500 for a denim jacket isn’t quite within reach for most fans.
And of course live shows simply happening again is part of the merch renaissance – which makes the concert tee momento that much more important.
I’m not sure Ye’s (Kanye’s) Yeezy collection counts as music-merch since it doesn’t directly connect to the music beyond its owner/creator being in the biz. But it’s certainly a movement in its own right considering just yesterday #RollingStone announced that Ye’s 2021 income of $250 Million was largely due to the collection… and not his latest album.
So what’s a super-fan to choose? Despite the array of new offerings, my dream piece most often still doesn’t exist– so I still make them myself like I did back in high school. Here’s my hand-painted Van Halen leather MC. The jacket is a vintage Harley-Davidson Motor Company MC that I picked up at a Buffalo Exchange Trading Co and the camouflage was inspired by the band’s slightly weird 1981 PR Shot with a Tank.
#MusicBusiness#Merchandise#VanHalen#Kanye#Yeezy#RollingStone