Jack White Partners With Shinola to Open Detroit Store
An artist and a brand return to their roots. But do their roots care?
While sane people stay home with the windows closed on Black Friday, Jack White is living dangerously. White is partnering with Shinola to open a retail space with his label in the Cass Corridor neighborhood of his hometown, Detroit. The grand opening is set for November 27th. But will there be a line at the door?
White’s label, Third Man Records was founded in Detroit in 2001 and has been in Nashville since 2009. This occasion marks a return home for more reasons than one, as White attended high school in Cass Corridor. The White Stripes even played their first concert there.
“The Corridor has nurtured Detroit’s soul and inventiveness for decades,” White said.
The store, which will be on W. Canfield Street, was procured with the help of Shinola’s founder, Tom Kartosis. Initially a watch manufacturer, Shinola has recently expanded its much publicized effort into the realm of bike and leather good production. It has provided a small boost to Detroit’s economy and received a lot of good press for doing so.
Like Shinola, White has leaned on Detroit for credibility. Unlike Shinola, which is owned by a Texas-based company, White is really from there. The question that remains is whether he's shoring up his credibility by opening an outlet or going home for the sake of going home. Authenticity is a tough goddess to worship — ask any rock star about it — but she's also hard to avoid talking about. White surely gets this, which is why he'll presumably be putting on some free shows.
A press released promised “surprises” for the store’s Black Friday opening, but those surprises won't surprise anyone paying attention. White is gonna come back to Detroit and try to strike a chord.
