Yahoo Finance Legendary Japanese fashion brand partners with Ziploc for plastic line
Beams Couture — an offshoot of Ray, the women’s line of iconic Japanese clothing brand Beams — recently announced its latest partner: Ziploc.
The clothing company is debuting a variety of plastic products emblazoned with the recognizable Ziploc logo and blue-and-magenta zipper seal featured on its food–storage wares. The capsule collection is available for limited time, starting at a pop-up shop at Beams’ Shinjuku store from August 15 to September 11. The Ziploc collection arrives online on August 20.
Included in the couture line are a tote bag, a visor, a fanny pack, and an umbrella, among other wearables. Prices range from 1,296 Yen, or about $12, to 14,040 Yen, or about $127.
The Tokyo-based brand last summer released a collection with McDonald’s featuring Big Mac-inspired merchandise that caught the attention of street style fans. That line featured a tote bag, a baseball cap embroidered with the iconic burger, and an iPhone case.
Seeking the ‘grail’
Brands have long been able to capitalize on the limited availability of products dropped in collaboration with another company, but the frequency — and the obscurity of the matchups — have grown in recent years.
Noted street style brand Supreme has worked with a number of big names over the company’s 24-year history, such as 2000’s venture with Gucci.
Having such a coveted piece of clothing is a status symbol in the men’s fashion world. GQ explained how the allure of these items — called “grails” by enthusiasts — must meet two requirements: it must be a “clothing/sneaker/bag that is 1) hard to come by and 2) has appreciated in value since it came out (thanks in large part to #1).”
Pieces often end up on re-sale sites such as Grailed (derived from the preferred term of menswear obsessives) for multiples of their original value. The seller of this sweatshirt from a 1998 campaign with artist Keith Haring is asking $585, down from his original ask of $725.
Supreme’s most recent collaboration paired the brand with the New York Post. A wraparound ad on the daily newspaper’s front and back covers featured only the fashion brand’s logo announcing of its 2018 Fashion Week line.
On newsstands now… #Supreme #ad pic.twitter.com/oGMbEva16v
— New York Post (@nypost) August 13, 2018
According to the Post: “Some bodega and deli owners near Supreme’s flagship Soho store — where fans routinely line up for hours to score new products — said they were sold out by 7:30 a.m.”
Copies of the limited-edition paper, which usually costs $1, ended up on eBay for as much as $80.
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