Throughout its history, NASA has been associated with the creation of iconic looks (opens in new tab). The Mercury astronauts had their silvery spacesuits, the Apollo moonwalkers were clad in bulky white and early shuttle crew members rode into orbit wearing powder blue two-pieces.
Now, the agency’s first step towards returning humans to the moon is no different, though the mission is embarking without a crew.
Instead of astronauts, the models for the new wardrobe will be the commentators bringing the Artemis 1 launch live to the public on NASA’s television channel and associated web streams. Oxcart Assembly, an advertising and marketing agency that previously worked with NASA on its “Launch America” broadcasts and associated on-air jackets, partnered with clothing brand Golf Wang and their creative arm “Powered by Golf” to develop a look reflecting the current fashion trends of the Artemis Generation.
Live updates: NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission
“This was an exciting project, and an honor to be a part of history,” Jeff Jetton, co-founder and CEO at Oxcart Assembly (opens in new tab), told collectSPACE.com. “We are truly excited for this launch, as well as future missions.”
Golf Wang (opens in new tab), which was founded in 2011 by musician and fashion designer Tyler, the Creator, generally caters to streetwear, skateboarding and hip hop culture. Oxcart Assembly chose Golf Wang as a partner for NASA’s Artemis campaign to turn the attention of the brand’s youthful audience to the new moon missions.
The Artemis 1 Golf Wang line features all-weather jackets and custom Chuck 70s — the latter created in collaboration with Converse — in colors that highlight the Artemis program’s vibrant “Horizon” gradient. The collection also includes throwback wool caps and PVC emblems sourced from A-B Emblem, the official supplier of mission patches (opens in new tab) to the Astronaut Office.
Additional partners include RTV (Return to Vendor), Ebbets Field Flannel, Velcro Companies and VistaPrint.
As currently scheduled, the collection will make its debut at 12:15 p.m. EDT (1615 GMT) on Saturday (Sept. 3), two hours and two minutes before NASA’s first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket — the most powerful U.S. rocket ever built — lifts off with the Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft (opens in new tab) on a 38-day mission to the moon and back.
“With the commencement of the first test of the SLS that will return humans to the lunar surface, Oxcart Assembly has made sure that NASA can do it in style,” Jetton said.
In addition to live commentary, NASA’s Artemis 1 launch broadcast will feature appearances by celebrities Jack Black, Chris Evans and Keke Palmer, as well as special performances by Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock and Yo-Yo Ma.
The Oxcart Assembly and Golf Wang Artemis wardrobe is similar to NASA’s earlier space looks in another way: they are not for sale. The entire collection will be exclusive to NASA’s on-air team for this and future Artemis launches, as a label sewn to each piece reads. But even then, the garments are only theirs while worn on camera.
“These wardrobe items are not intended for re-sale and have been procured according to a rental agreement with the U.S. government,” the label reads. “All items remain property of Oxcart Assembly & Golf Wang and must be returned promptly after usage unless purchased by a NASA employee according to proper legal procedures set forth by NASA Office of the General Counsel.”
Click through to collectSPACE (opens in new tab) to see more of the Artemis line by Oxcart Assembly and Golf Wang.
collectSPACE.com is grateful to film and TV company Haviland Digital (opens in new tab) for supporting our Artemis 1 coverage. Their team has produced and supported titles such as the award-winning “Last Man on the Moon,” “Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo” and “Armstrong.”
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