Lifestyle fashion brands step up with Japanese pop culture tie-ins
Collaborations between fashion and lifestyle brands and licensed pop culture properties are not uncommon, but these past couple of months has seen more major brands working together with some of Japan's most iconic manga and anime franchises.

From sneakers and jeans, to T-shirts and accessories, these collaborations are notable not just for how cool they look, but also for embodying the essence and spirit of the anime it is featuring.

Photo: All Is Amazing

The Boy and the Tiger

Onitsuka Tiger celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2024 and recently launched a global collaboration with Japanese anime icon Astro Boy to mark the start of its anniversary year.

Astro Boy was the first full-length anime TV series in Japan, while Onitsuka Tiger released the first true athletic shoes made in Japan, making this collaboration between two Japanese icons a no-brainer.

Photo: All Is Amazing

The collection includes items featuring the original logo and Astro Boy design, created exclusively for this collaboration, in a wide range of unisex categories.

The lineup consists of 43 items in total, including shirts, track suits, skirts, and pants, as well as body bags, hats, and footwear. All items in this collection are delivered in their original packaging: a shopping bag and box decorated with Astro Boy.

One Piece of the action

Sports brand Puma has set sail with Monkey D. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat pirate crew that are part of best-selling manga and anime series, One Piece.

The collaboration celebrates the 25th anniversary of the One Piece TV anime, and mixes classic Puma streetwear and sports silhouettes with the island-hopping pirate adventure series.

Photo: Handout

Following Luffy’s quest to become the King of the Pirates, the globally popular anime is depicted through graphic elements like pirate flags, as well as scenes and characters from the show that are used across T-shirts, hoodies, and Puma’s T7 tracksuit.

Selected pieces feature Puma’s wordmark, cleverly mixed with the One Piece logo, while there are also related accessories such as an adventure-ready backpack and bucket hat.

Photo: Handout

For footwear, there are four Puma Suedes inspired by the Four Emperors: Straw Hat Luffy, Red-Haired Shanks, Blackbeard Teech, and Buggy the Genius Jester.

Each of these characters are alluded to through elevated details, such as a cloud-shaped Formstrip that represents Luffy’s Gear5 mode, and scar-mark embroidery as a nod to Shanks.

Aiming for space

Levi’s recently launched a futuristic collection of apparel in collaboration with iconic anime Mobile Suit Gundam.

Since the release of Mobile Suit Gundam series in 1979, the Gundam universe has steadily expanded while captivating audiences with compelling characters and complex narratives.

Set in a future where Earth is embroiled in conflicts between space colonies and the Earth Federation, the franchise has boldly explored novel technologies, the human condition, and so much more.

Photo: Handout

The Levi’s x Gundam Seed collection captures the sci-fi beauty of the mobile suits and the recurring fight between different ideologies. The centrepieces of the collection are the Levi’s x Gundam Seed ‘93 501 jeans, and the matching Relaxed Trucker.

Others pieces include the Levi’s x Gundam Seed Technical Anorak, black Cargo Pants, Boxy Tee, light gray Rugby, dark blue Long Sleeve Tee, and many more. Inspired by Gundam’s visions of the future, many pieces of the collection also have a unique utility element.

Photo: Handout
From sneakers and jeans, to T-shirts and accessories, these collaborations are notable not just for how cool they look, but also for embodying the essence and spirit of the anime it is featuring.