In celebration of The Viper Room’s 20th anniversary the iconic music venue on Sunset Boulevard is launching its first-ever high-end menswear collection. The apparel line captures the historic rocker style and history of the famed location, which has welcomed rockers across generations including Johnny Cash, Joey Ramone, Bruce Springsteen, The Strokes, The White Stripes, and many more. The rock-n-roll couture line features shirts, jeans and accessories, 100% made in the United States from high quality materials, including imported Japanese denim fabrics from the famed Kurabo fabric factory.
The Viper Room apparel include t-shirts that feature both the classic Viper Room logo and fashion forward designs in 100% cotton and 100% stitched, washed, and sprayed for detail in Los Angeles. While some shirts are screen printed, others have laser cut images and logos on the front and are all strategically washed to give the illusion of a vintage shirt that has been already well-worn. To pay a further nod to its rock-n-roll heritage, all shirts have a signature guitar pick sewn into the label at the neck. The shirts will also come packaged in authentic vinyl record covers, perfect for collectors and avid Viper Room fans alike. The jeans feature a range of washes and treatments inspired by classic rocker style with a contemporary twist. The skinny fit features 1% stretch using the highest quality Japanese fabric.
Creative Director, Elias Belhouane, explains, “The collection brings the authentic look and feel of The Viper Room to the streets. Timed to this incredible 20th Anniversary milestone, we felt it was the right moment to give admirers of music and fashion access to a high-end, rock-inspired fashion line while also paying homage to The Viper Room and its legendary history.”
The accessory collection will include a retake on the legendary Viper Room beanie worn by rock stars over the past 20 years and a staple of the location’s style, music, and lifestyle. In collaboration with luxury and couture jewelry designer Lazaro, The Viper Room will also introduce a limited edition jewelry collection to celebrate the launch.
In the 1940’s 8852 Sunset Boulevard was the location of jazz bar the Melody Room, a reputed gangster gambling den and 'Vapor Room" owned by Mobster Bugsy Siegel. It became Filthy Mc Nasty in the 60s and then The Central in the 70s. The Central was part of the Sunset strip 70s music scene and it operated there until struggling to survive in the early 1990s.
In 1993, at the suggestion of friend and musician Chuck Weiss, Johnny bought The Central. He renamed it The Viper Room, a name inspired by musician /actor Tom Waits and "after a group of pot-‐smoking musicians who called themselves Vipers”. Depp has stated in interviews that he open the place to hear good music and host his friends "without having to suffer the bad taste of others”.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played the opening show at the Viper Room on August 14, 1993. The venue became an instant A-‐list magnet, with constant appearances by music legends.