The capsule line includes a hoodie, shirt, and cap.
Luxuryautomaker Lexus and designer Salehe Bembury today announced a collection showcasing an assortment of collaborative apparel printed on Champion silhouettes.
“This collaboration was a new type of challenge for me. It is both challenging and rewarding to explore design outside of footwear and allowed me to think outside of my usual realm of design,” Bembury says.
Street chic
Born and raised in Tribeca, New York, the American designer has worked previously with Cole Haan and Yeezy Gap. He is famous for his luxurious take on streetwear, which he applies to his post as vice president for sneakers and men’s footwear at Versace.
Lexus’s future-looking mobility innovation and Bembury’s signature nature-inspired design ethos come together for this capsule that challenges the status quo in the automotive space. The latter has a degree in Industrial Design from Syracuse University.
In celebration of the next generation of Lexus and its commitment to electrification, the collaboration brings together two distinct, yet synergistic, design approaches that come to life on the blank canvas of Champion’s most popular Reverse Weave styles.
For this partnership, Bembury approached Lexus’ push towards the electrification of its vehicle lineup through his own lens, while bringing in graphic elements derived from the overall partnership and the Lexus NX vehicle.
The 2022 Lexus NX, which was designed and engineered with the future of luxury in mind, served as a point of inspiration. The all-new vehicle ushers in a new era of electrification, intuitive technology, performance and design.
Collection details
This Lexus x Salehe Bembury collection includes three unisex items: a hoodie, T-shirt and hat. The designs themselves were created by merging recognizable elements of Bembury’s body of work, such as his logo and signature fingerprint, with graphic elements derived from the Lexus brand and its NX vehicle.
As an emblem of a fresh and forward-thinking approach, the collaboration reimagines Lexus’ iconic logo, distilling Lexus’ human-centric design into an apparel collection.
Archway shapes on the front and back were used to tie the design elements together, symbolizing a pathway toward the future. Graphic accents on the back frame the word “electrified” and were based on the Lexus NX’s taillights.
Lexus and Bembury identified Champion Reverse Weave as the best apparel silhouette for storytelling and took a deliberate approach with details that would amplify the collection’s narrative.
Merging disciplines
For example, incorporation of reflective ink represents the idea of electrification and is used on both the T-shirt and hoodie.
The fabric is dyed dark gray through a custom oil wash process, giving a unique look to the Champion apparel. Colors are drawn from the Lexus NX exterior options and the incorporation of a hand-finished, wash tag appliqué in both English and Japanese at the front hem ties together all of the brands working on the project.
The focal point of the unstructured baseball cap is Salehe’s fingerprint logo wrapping the brim. In addition, embroidered Salehe, Lexus and Champion logos complete the piece, which is adjustable using a strap and metal buckle.
“This collaboration merges different design disciplines to create a modern collection rooted in heritage for fans across the three brands,” says Jon Ram, the global president Champion Athleticwear.
“As a brand that continuously pushes the boundaries of creativity, Champion is excited to work with Bembury and Lexus to elevate the conversation around design, fashion and technology,” Ram continues.
The collection is available for purchase exclusively at HBX.com. This project is a continued partnership between Lexus and Bembury, who designed a rendering of the LZ-F Electrified concept interior as part of the Virtual Interiors Program in April 2021.
