RootsxDouglasCoupland

I love Douglas Coupland, having read Microserfs more times than I can count since middle school. I love Canada, having visited Toronto all throughout college (how I miss being just a few hours from Canada!) And, of course, I love both telecommunications and fashion in equal measure. So reading the following in an article on Alt.Engadget was like watching worlds collide:

Douglas Coupland may be best known as the author that popularized the term “Generation X,” but he’s also an artist, a designer, and a Canadian, so it makes a bit of sense that he would team up with that most iconically Canadian clothing retailer, Roots, for a new clothing line […] inspired in part by Canada’s history in telecommunications, and by Coupland’s idea that “what really links Canadians together is that we’re all far apart.”

Brilliant! The collection can be preordered via Facebook and features lots of tech-prints like television test patterns and matrices. There are also wireframe beavers on t-shirts and more than a few shopping totes in loud neon colors. My favorite item of all, the motherboard scarf, doesn’t seem to be available online (I hope just “yet.”) Prices for everything else are reasonable – gift, anyone?

Comments (2)

  1. Emma

    Huh, meant to post my other comment here. I guess it’s on the post below. Sorry!

  2. nickjs1984

    You know, I am no longer a Diesel Sweeties reader, but I was straight through 2008 and it’s the only reason I have any knowledge of Roots so it’s kinda funny that the maple leaf shirt brings this all back together! I wonder if Coupland is aware of his eerily similar shirt? Maybe it’s intentional and maybe RStevens knows? He’s a pretty cool guy (says those that have met him, including my friend, Dusty.)

    Your comment:

    Uh oh… Not sure if you’re familiar with the Diesel Sweeties comic, but this Roots shirt:

    http://usa.roots.com/DigitalMapleLeafT-Shirt/Men%27sT-ShirtsDouglasCouplandCollection//05080456,default,pd.html?cgid=menDouglasCouplandCollection&selectedColor=6805

    looks an awful lot like this one:

    http://store.dieselsweeties.com/products/pixel-canada-shirt

    Which RStevens has had up for years.
    Otherwise, cool stuff!