Paul Smith Teams Up with The Rolling Stones on Exclusive ‘Hackney Diamonds’ Vinyl and T-Shirts

Bravado has announced the launch of a T-shirt collaboration between The Rolling Stones and fashion designer Paul Smith to mark the launch of the band’s first studio album in 18 years, ‘Hackney Diamonds.’

As a longtime friend and supporter of band members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, Paul Smith was asked to design exclusive vinyl album artwork, which features on the t-shirt collection. The Rolling Stones x Paul Smith exclusive vinyl design references the album’s title – itself a nod to East End slang for broken glass – with a photoprint rendering of smashed glass.

Incorporating the band’s signature color – red – the vinyl sleeve also utilizes Smith’s distinctive handwriting for the band name and tracklist. The vinyl itself features a sticker with a reworking of The Rolling Stone’s iconic tongue logo with Paul’s well-known Signature Stripe.

To complement the release of the vinyl, Paul Smith has also designed a selection of collectible 100% organic cotton tees featuring the exclusive vinyl print as well as a version with a print of the reinterpreted Signature Stripe tongue logo front and center.

Rolling Stones x Paul Smith 'Hackney Diamond' album print t-shirt.

“I consider it an incredible honor to work with Mick, Keith and Ronnie on this exciting collaboration. As a brand, we’ve always had a close relationship with the music business, and I count The Rolling Stones as one of my all-time musical heroes,” says Smith. “As well as being a fan, I’m also lucky enough to be able to call the band friends. It goes without saying that ‘Hackney Diamonds’ is a phenomenal album with a fearless spirit. For this launch, I wanted to create something that stayed true to the vision that the band set out – with a few subtle Paul Smith ‘twists,’ as we call them.”

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The vinyl was released at the official album launch in London on Oct. 20.

In the latest issue of License Global, we spoke with Damian Treece, senior licensing manager, and Keith Taperell, vice president, global brand partnerships and energy marketing, both of Bravado, about the current trends in music licensing and the importance of authenticity.