REPRESENT X METALLICA

The collaboration marks a full circle moment for Represent, with the brand’s iconic oversized t-shirt construction being inspired by a thirty year old vintage Metallica t-shirt discovered by Represent’s Co-Founder, Mike Heaton over 7 years ago. That singular t-shirt became the muse of the brand's DNA over the years, from the fit to the artwork style. The collaboration offers the opportunity to showcase Represent’s attention to detail for authentic execution and bring back to life grails from the past.

The 19-piece capsule marks a significant point of development, pushing not only artwork execution, but application, garment washing and construction. The collection showcases new fabric developments with the incorporation of slub t-shirts with single stitch detailing – an evolution of prior styles with a focus on vintage inspired drape, texture and fabric weight.

At the forefront of the range is the Metallica Leather Battle Jacket, a monument dedicated to the timeless artistry of the band. With a classic biker silhouette, the jacket features signature patchwork from iconic albums such as Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, and Garage Inc, with further references made with Initialised Local Crew and Represent logos evocative of the classic Metallica logo style. With a vintage distressed leather emulating the natural sun fade and ageing of garments, the jacket is finished with a distressed And Justice for All album artwork and Metallica logo to the back.

The Masters of Puppets T-Shirt and Hoodie are reiterations of the graphic t-shirt that started the brands pivot into graphic collections 7 years ago. They are a testament to the intensive design process of the collection; a total of 26 screens layered to complete the accumulated graphic of five referenced albums: Masters of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, Metallica (The Black Album), And Justice for All and Kill ‘Em All.

The collection centres around celebrating 40 years of Ride the Lightning which sees ‘jumbo’ print application on vintage grey and flat white t-shirts, as well as a vintage grey hoodie and long sleeve t-shirt with a full body front and back print. The back print features a hand painted Represent logo paying homage to the analogue techniques of the ‘80s.

The addition of a hand rising from the grave acts as a point of remembrance to deceased band member, Cliff Burton. The artwork undergoes an intensive inversion and repaint process to be printed on flat white, offering a new take on the typical black heavy artwork.

And Justice For All was an iconic album for the band, being the first of their discography portfolio to feature new bassist Jason Newsted, following the death of Cliff Burton. The graphic showcase incorporates Lady Justice (Doris) to the front of the t-shirt, with a 1983/84 iteration of the Metallica logo. The Represent logo to the back echoes to the early logo stylisation, with the addition of a remake of artwork from renowned Metallica album artist, Pushead.

Maximisation is acknowledged across every design in the collection, yet everyday wearability is also a key consideration, observed particularly in the Garage Inc and Local Crew designs. The Garage Inc long sleeve t-shirt incorporates a hand drawn type. It infuses artwork inspired by the original album in an aged vintage yellow puff print to the front, back and arms. The Local Crew long sleeve t-shirt, short sleeve t-shirt and zip through hoodie channel the spirit of the band’s backstage crew, with textured prints of the 15-year anniversary ninja star logo, initialised to uphold quintessential Represent branding whilst preserving the aesthetic of the original design.

Micheal Heaton, Represent’s Art Director and Co-Founder speaks on the collection:

“For me this journey started 7 years ago, when I found a vintage thrashed Metallica t-shirt in LA, which since then has inspired the inherent DNA of our graphic collections.

Today, we showcase a true collaboration, not just a licensing deal. Represent x Metallica is an authentically co branded collection; it’s a seamless synergy of brand and band. Fabrics have been redeveloped and meticulously refined to give the essence of over 40 years of wear. We exhibit hand painted artwork, new washes and primarily a new standard of elevation for the brand.

It’s truly a full circle moment to bring grails like these from the past back to life.”