Major Force West 1994 Archive Collection

Major Force West 1994 Archive Collection
Year	1994
Type	T-shirt and jacket

In 1994 James Lavelle collaborated with Toshi and Kudo of Major Force, and this clothing collection was released. The images and details were revealed in 2022 in the Original Headz newsletter, issue 5, volume 2.^[1]

Original Headz description

"The Major Force West 1994 Archive Collection was one of the first merch collections I did with Major Force West, the subsidiary label of Mo' Wax, which I set up with Toshi and K.U.D.O. It was the UK version of the highly influential Japanese label Major Force. This was the realisation of a personal dream: the label was a huge inspiration. I first met Toshi and K.U.D.O. whilst working at Honest Jon's. After discovering who they were and tirelessly pursuing them, they finally agreed to collaborate with me and start releasing their records outside of Japan.

We then set up a studio under the same name, releasing records by Howie B, Love TKO and the first UNKLE release: The Time Has Come. We later released two compilations from the Major Force West sessions and a retrospective box set compilation of Major Force. K.U.D.O. also continued to work on all of UNKLE's productions and remixes pre-Psyence Fiction.

We launched the label with a promotional-only friends and family collection. This included a vintage army surplus T-shirt with puff print, an M65 army surplus field jacket with embroidery and puff print, and a Japanese vintage e-type Levi's denim jacket, of which there were only five made. These items were super limited and given to immediate friends and family of Mo' Wax and Major Force.

This was the first merchandise I worked on with Fraser Cook. Fraser helped source and create the items with help from the legendary DJ and record producer Dave Dorrell (M/A/R/R/S and Pump Up The Volume), at the Mo' Wax Mortimer Street offices.

This was the beginning of my collaborative partnerships with artists and brands in Japan, which have continued now for thirty years, and counting."