The Joe Louis Arena Locker Room Collaboration
Two years after our first landmark partnership, we are releasing a second collection with the Detroit Red Wings just in time for the holiday season! The Joe Louis Arena Locker Room Collection features reclaimed materials from the famed arena's locker room seats. These seats were used by many Red Wings greats including Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom, and many more, and these pieces are some of the last remaining pieces of this famed arena. The items preserve the rich brown leather that boasts aged lines and history, making each and every piece truly unique and filled with rich memories from legends' past. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Detroit Red Wings Foundation.
Who is Joe Louis?
Joseph Louis Barrow started his journey in Detroit in 1924 when his family moved from Alabama. After moving to Motor City, where many genres of music, including Motown, were born, Lillie Barrow, Joe’s mother, provided her son with money to take violin lessons, but instead of taking violin lessons, Joe would go to the Brewster Recreation Center to take boxing classes. After a long career as an amateur boxer in 1973, Joe became an inspiration to many black men and women by becoming the first black world heavyweight champion in twenty-two years. The Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling rematch of 1983 is what solidified Joe Louis as a national treasure. The match lasted two minutes and four seconds because Joe knocked out Max in the first round!
The History of The Joe Louis Arena
Named in memory of Detroit's legendary fighter, The Joe Louis Arena opened its doors to the Detroit Red Wings and their fans in 1979 and would continue to be their home for the next 38 years. During that period the arena was home to a 25-season NHL postseason streak, four Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008), and more than 600 concerts and events. In the summer of 2017, The Joe Louis Arena closed its doors and was one of only three NHL arenas that did not have a corporate naming sponsor. Before the arena was demolished, our team went on a graffiti hunt of the arena, found the classic bright red graffiti, and created The Joe Louis Arena Collection. Now we are working with the stools that the Red Wings players used before, during, and after every win, shot, and memory.
Before After
Unlike The Joe Louis Arena collection, The Locker Room collection did not require a graffiti hunt, because thanks to the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, the stools were carefully delivered to our Detroit Studio. From there, our Creative Designers had their hands full. The team started the process by carefully unstitching the leather from the stools, but little did they know this would be the easy part. Next, they spent a few weeks experimenting with the resining processes. Their goal was to preserve the original rich brown color of the leather stools, and the results came out incredible. We are ecstatic to show you all this collection and for you to have a unique piece of storied Red Wings history.
Collection
At Rebel Nell, we are committed to creating sustainable and ethical jewelry while also restoring memories through our gorgeous jewelry. The Joe Louis Arena Locker Room collection is no different. This collection consists of our sterling silver and 18k plated gold women's and men’s jewelry staples, including our Brittany and Diana earrings, Lauren rings, Amy and Nechelle necklaces, Carl bracelets, and our fan-favorite lifestyle pieces.
