Before the Break, 1964 (I) — Heavyweight Hoodie — Vintage Dune — CMD&C

Product: Oversized boxy heavyweight hoodie
Brand: CMD&C (Command & Create)
Colorway: Vintage Dune
Material: 460GSM organic cotton
Construction: Oversized boxy cut
Origin: Portugal (WATC Studio blank)
Print method: Heat transfer
Edition: Limited — one production run, no restocks
Price: $165

Malcolm X introduced Cassius Clay to the Nation of Islam in 1964, a time when it was controversial for a Black Muslim, especially one as confident as Clay. Malcolm prayed with a nervous Clay before the fight and  was sitting ringside, row 7, seat 7 when Clay defeated Sonny Liston and became the heavyweight champion of the world. Malcolm believed. Two days later, they had their famous night in Miami with Jim Brown and Sam Cooke amongst others. Soon after Cassius Clay became s Muhammad Ali. 

This print (I) archives a seminal moment when Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali were still close friends, before their break.

During a New York trip that included a trip to the United Nations to elevate the country's race problems, they took advantage of a replay of the night that Clay, "Shook up the world" and defeated Sonny Liston — the first time Clay saw himself become champ, possibly grasping fame and the responsibility with it for the first time.

In this colorful image, they're emerging from the theater, and the champ is swarmed by fans for autographs, many possibly unaware that Ali was with Malcolm. The vintage dune base echoes the warm amber and earth tones of the graphic. The green, ochre, and brown palette of the print seems to emerge from the fabric rather than sit on top of it.   

The next week, Ali was instructed by Honorable Elijah Muhammad to stop speaking with Malcolm. Three weeks later, Malcolm left the Nation of Islam. They never spoke publicly again. Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965.

Before the Break, 1964 (II) is a pop-art archive print of Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali the teacher and the student, the two Muslim brothers who were the freest unapologetically Black Men of the 20th century.

— 460GSM organic cotton
— Oversized boxy cut, true to CMD&C's silhouette
— Heat transfer print on Portuguese WATC Studio blank
— Produced in limited quantity. No restocks.