American Apparel recently announced a multi-year partnership as the official printwear supplier at select Live Nation festivals in the United States. This partnership comes as an extension following a previous partnership that started in 2019.

“We initially partnered with Live Nation back in 2019,” says Emma Budzisz, vice president of marketing at Gildan Activewear. “Recognizing that music is a passion point for our consumers, and as the leader in the live music industry, Live Nation emerged as the ideal collaborator to engage with fans at festivals throughout the United States.”

Budzisz notes that music is an “important pillar” for American Apparel, which is one reason why the company chose to extend its partnership with Live Nation. “As our multi-year partnership with Live Nation was coming to an end, it made sense for us to extend our collaboration with them,” she adds. “We opted to continue for five new years, featuring our iconic premium brand, American Apparel, as the official printwear supplier.”

As part of the partnership, American Apparel was at the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta from Sept. 15 – 18, debuting its Tee Lab activation booth. According to a press release shared by Gildan, the activation booth offered festival attendees a one-of-a-kind customization experience.

“Having a presence at upcoming key music festivals, such as the Governors Ball Music Festival and Music Midtown, gives us an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with artists and designers to create timeless T-shirt memories for attendees,” says Budzisz. During the event, fans had the opportunity to receive a complimentary custom printed T-shirt along with embroidered patches.

Additionally, the American Apparel team offered visitors a dedicated design desk to create their own unique customizations. Fans also had the opportunity to purchase American Apparel printed products directly at the booth.

“We truly believe that band merchandise plays a significant role in contemporary culture, which is why this type of partnership is a great fit for American Apparel,” Budzisz states. “Partnering with Live Nation allows us to be the primary T-shirt supplier at these events, ultimately strengthening American Apparel’s position as an iconic premium brand that’s perfect for band merch. In addition, we will leverage the power of live music to activate the brand through VIP experiences, consumer-facing promotions, on-site activations, and integrated social media campaigns capturing rich memories and experiences across these festivals.”