WITH EVERY COLLABORATION WE DO, WE ASK OURSELVES, WOULD BOB LIKE THIS BRAND? WITH WRANGLER, WE DIDN’T HAVE TO ASK THAT QUESTION, AS WE KNEW IT WAS ONE OF BOB’S FAVORITES. HERE’S HOW THE LINE CAME TOGETHER. THE ORIGIN WRANGLER STARTED DISCUSSING WHAT A COLLABORATION WITH THE MARLEY FAMILY COULD LOOK LIKE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO TO HONOR THE LATE BOB MARLEY, HIS LOVE OF THE WRANGLER BRAND, AND HIS FAVORITE DENIM PIECES. “WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE CONVERSATION, I INSTINCTIVELY THOUGHT, WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY! BECAUSE BOB TRULY HAD A LOVE OF WRANGLER, AND HE WORE IT WITHOUT ANY SORT OF GIFTING OR OUTREACH FROM THE BRAND,” SAID VIVIAN RIVETTI, WRANGLER’S GLOBAL VP OF CREATIVE. “I FELT THAT BECAUSE OF THAT AUTHENTIC CONNECTION, IT WAS A PERFECT MATCH. WE WERE EXCITED TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE MARLEY FAMILY TO CREATE A COLLECTION THAT PRESERVES HIS MEMORY AND SPIRIT IN CELEBRATION OF HIS 75TH BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR.” THE COLLECTION THE COLLECTION IS FULL OF COLORFUL, STYLIZED PRINTS, RETRO GRAPHICS, PHOTOS AND BESPOKE PATCHES INSPIRED BY SEVERAL OF BOB MARLEY’S LIVE ALBUMS AS WELL AS OTHER ELEMENTS OF HIS LIFE. “WHEN WE STARTED OUR RESEARCH, I WAS TRULY INSPIRED WHEN I FOUND OLD CONCERT FOOTAGE OF BOB MARLEY WEARING OUR RED WRANGLER TEE,” SAID RIVETTI. “IT REALLY INSPIRED THE ‘GROOVE’ OF THE COLLECTION AND ADDED TO THE AUTHENTICITY OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FAMILY.” CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING THE COLLECTION, AND HERE FOR THE BOB MARLEY SHOP-EXCLUSIVE BUFFALO SOLDIER JACKET. THE PROCESS THE COLLECTION WAS CREATED THROUGH A YEARLONG COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH THE MARLEY FAMILY. ACCORDING TO CEDELLA MARLEY, “COLLABORATING WITH WRANGLER ALLOWED US TO CREATE A COLLECTION THAT WE FEEL TRULY EMBODIES MY FATHER’S SPIRIT AND PRESERVES HIS MEMORY. IT WAS A NATURAL FIT, BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW MUCH HE LOVED WRANGLER.” BEHIND THE SCENES, RIVETTI WORKED WITH THE WRANGLER DESIGN TEAM, SPENDING COUNTLESS HOURS SELECTING THE MOST APPROPRIATE LYRICS AND BOB MARLEY STATEMENTS, FOCUSING ON THOSE THAT HAD THE MOST IMPACT AND CONNECTIVITY WITH THE WRANGLER BRAND. “WE REALLY WANTED TO EXPRESS BOB’S EXPRESSIVENESS AND WHO HE WAS,” SAID RIVETTI. “ALL MUSIC IS A WAY TO COMMUNICATE, AND REGGAE WAS BOB’S COMMUNICATION. I BELIEVE THAT THE STYLES AND DESIGNS WE CREATED HELP CONTINUE TO SHARE HIS MESSAGE: THE AWARENESS HE BROUGHT TO PEOPLE’S STRUGGLES, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, STRESSING THAT PEACE AND LOVE ARE STILL ACHIEVABLE. I PARTICULARLY LOVE ‘TUFF GONG,’ WHICH WAS BOB’S NICKNAME. IT’S A PLACE AND EXPRESSION WHERE YOUR VOICE IS FREE AND EXUDING TRUTH, AND THAT’S WHAT BOB REPRESENTS TO ME.” THE SPIRIT “BOB MARLEY’S FREE, STRONG AND TRUE SPIRIT ALIGNS PERFECTLY WITH THE IDEALS WRANGLER STRIVES TO ABIDE BY EVERY DAY—WHAT WE ‘STAND UP’ FOR,” SAYS RIVETTI. “WE STAY FIRM, AS HE DID, AND WE ARE NOT WEARY IN WHAT WE DO, BELIEVE IN, AND HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. WE BELIEVE IN GOING FORWARD WITH CONVICTION.” “WRANGLER HAS A STRONG HISTORY IN MUSIC AND HAS BEEN THE CHOSEN BRAND OF MANY ARTISTS OF ALL GENRES,” SHE CONTINUES, “BUT WE HAD A LOT OF FUN DOING THIS COLLABORATION IN PARTICULAR.”
