PLEASURES and Reebok Unveil Joy Division-Inspired Club C 85 and Merch Collection

Cast in a mixture of black suede and woven textile uppers, the Club C 85’s toe box is printed with the famous pulsar waveform illustration from the Unknown Pleasures cover. The small logo window where the typical Reebok logo resides is instead filled in with a discreet black-on-black Joy Division wordmark. On the back heels, the pull tabs are embroidered with the album title in white thread.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, digital youth cultures on platforms like Tumblr were highly nostalgic for the Joy Division era. Interest in the melancholic aesthetic of their projects prompted a resurgence for the band, and particularly for Unknown Pleasures merch. In 2019, PLEASURES celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release with Warner Music UK in a special capsule featuring hoodies, jackets, and t-shirts boasting the recognizable artwork.

The new collection includes more merch, but opts for a physical-ed style uniform set, including black and white tees featuring faded graphics. Taking the band name literally, the playful campaign shows the collegiate graphic saying “PLEASURES JOY DIV.” with the Reebok emblem at the center. On the backsides of the shirts, song titles like “Transmission” and “Disorder” are printed in distressed lettering.