Interview, Where to buy online

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Music gadgets have According to Gabriela Hearst, the problem is quality. “Without mentioning names, sometimes I will go to see great talent and see the quality of goods from someone who also cares about the environment. And I think “something is wrong here,” he says Rolling Stone.

So when designing her new collection with the Grateful Dead – her first collection with the band – Hearst wanted to create an example and (hopefully) a reference point for other labels and artists. “The standards I hold at Gabriela Hearst are very high and cannot be replicated at a music concert,” she explains. “But there is a language (in the collection) that can be emulated when it comes to merch. You can still do things that have a better impact on the environment and provide a higher standard of quality.

This designer’s Grateful Dead capsule is exactly what you would expect from the famous luxury designer. Fabrics are sumptuous yet understated, with standout pieces like the Welfat Lawrence cashmere sweater, which Hearst describes as “Prozac”: “When you put on one of those sweaters, you think, ‘Eh, life isn’t that bad.’ It’s like a hug.” There are also T-shirts, cashmere socks, and a bold blanket that could easily double as wall art. Shop everything now at GabrielaHearst.com.

Grateful Dead x Gabriela Hearst: interview, where to buy online

Instead of the more ubiquitous trappings of the Dead (dancing bears, ties, etc.), the collection uses visual deep cuts from the band’s beatnik early days. Serious Deadheads will recognize Roy Henry Vickers’ artwork from The Dead album Pacific Northwest ’73-’74: Complete Recordings throughout the collection. “At first we were playing with skulls and things you could recognize, but I thought it would be nice to not be so obvious,” Hearst says. “It was really fun because it’s a new take on what you would expect.”

To source these unexpected visuals, Hearst’s team accessed the massive Dead archive. During a video call from his New York office, Hearst shows us a large mood board filled with old Grateful Dead photos. “Researching about the band, especially the early days, was really interesting,” he says, “because it was more beatnik than the psychedelic visuals we all know and love.”

Grateful Dead x Gabriela Hearst: interview, where to buy online

The collection’s materials are equally unexpected for band merchandise, featuring the high-quality, strictly sustainable fabrics that are hallmark of the Gabriela Hearst brand. Deadstock French Terry and various cashmere varieties (including Heart’s ridiculously soft Welfat cashmere) are just some of the standouts. “The collaboration is really based on luxurious materials,” he says. “I like things that are more modest to the eye but very luxurious to the skin. “No pretentiousness, but great.”

Like other Hearst collections, the Dead capsule also supports nonprofit organizations. “Made in Italy and in collaboration with the non-profit organization Manos del Uruguay, which I work with,” he says. “(Manos del Uruguay) has been empowering women in my country for over 50 years because he employs them. And when you empower women, you empower communities.”

Grateful Dead x Gabriela Hearst: interview, where to buy online

While this is Hearst’s first “merch” collection, it’s not her first collaboration with musicians. “We have made suits for many different artists and musicians. We dress all kinds of bands – Spanish bands, Latin bands, American folk bands,” he says. “We are preparing Wesley (Schultz)’s upcoming tour with the Lumineers, Father John Misty and Cat Power. I mean, we love musicians.

Who’s next? “I would like to make suits for Nick Cave. It’s obvious because it’s so polished that I think he knows exactly what he’s doing,” she says.

Shop Gabriela Heart’s new Grateful Dead collection now at GabrielaHearst.com.