THE BEST STREETWEAR X TOY DESIGN COLLABORATIONS

Streetwear and toy design have a lot in common. They take their roots in fashion, pop culture, surfing, skateboarding and urban cultures such as graffiti and hip-hop. Their codes are the same (creativity, rarity, etc.), they have the same popularity, the same audiences and both offer collections inspired by artists or designers.
Streetwear was born out the rise of surfing, skateboarding and the New York hip-hop movement in the 1980s. And, sportswear brands such as Nike, Adidas and Vans were among the first to democratize « lifestyle » clothing at this time. However, streetwear took on another dimension in the 1990s with the Ura-Hara movement - named after the Harajuku district in Tokyo - whose idea was to bring art, music, sport and fashion even more together. The spearheads of this movement are Nigo (A Bathing Ape), Hiroshi Fujiwara (Fragment Design) or Jun Takahashi (Undercover). They started to develop collaborations of a new kind with artists and designers fed on the same cultures such as Bounty Hunter (JP), Michael Lau, Eric So (HK) or Kaws and Futura (NYC). This is how toy design was born, a movement also known as Designer Toys or Urban Vinyl. All together, they created bridges between art and fashion and shaped new horizons, well helped by the open-mindedness and the pronounced taste of the Japanese for originality and avant-garde projects.
In the early 2000s, music producers and influencers such as James Lavelle (Mo-Wax), Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Biggie or Lil Wayne also gave streetwear and toy design a new platform. And the advent of the Japanese art toy company Medicom Toy at the same time has amplified the phenomenon. The Be@rbrick - a cultural icon in its own - quickly became the missing link between art, fashion and pop culture and the showcase for many brands, in luxury as well as streetwear.

CONTENTS

I- STREETWEAR & TOY DESIGN MADE IN JAPAN
II- THE UNITED STATES OF STREETWEAR AND TOY DESIGN FROM WEST TO EAST
III- STREETWEAR & TOY DESIGN IN EUROPE
IV- FASHION DESIGNERS BY TOY DESIGNERS
V- ARTOYZ FACTORY

I - STREETWEAR MADE IN JAPAN

Today, Tomoaki Nagao (Nigo), Hiroshi Fujiwara and Jun Takahashi are now considered by many to be the originators of modern streetwear. They all created their own streetwear brand in the early 90s, and together, they opened the Nowhere store in Tokyo's Harajuku district in 1993. This concept store marked a turning point in the history of streetwear, with an offer combining products from major brands like Nike, Adidas… their own creations and various collectibles.

Now artistic director of Kenzo and known for his recent collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Uniqlo and Adidas, Nigo founded the brand A Bathing Ape in 1993. Easily recognizable by its monkey head logo and its in-house camos, the brand has also its mascot, Baby Milo.

The Be@rbrick is Bape's most coveted collectible. From Alpha Industries to Levi’s, and the inevitable Mastermind, Undercover, Neighborood or Readymade, no collaboration can resist to a Be@rbrick and the creations are often polished and haloed ny tailor-made clothes.

A Bathing Ape also regularly collaborates with distinguished artists such as Kaws, Stash, Eric Haze, Shepard Fairey, Hebru Brantley, Hajime Sorayama or Steven Harrington... the list is too long... and the Be@rbrick remains the medium of choice.

 

But the mascot is Baby Milo. She has also often been revisited by artists or taken the form of pop culture icons such as Star Wars characters of course, or Astroboy.

A Bathing Ape has also collaborated with the biggest toy licenses, such as Mattel's Barbie, Hasbro's Transformers or Bandaï's Gundams Gunpla.

Before officiating as a stylist, Nigo was a producer and a DJ fan of hip-hop. He met James Lavelle (Unkle / Mo-Wax) in the 90s. Together they produced records and toys with NYC’s street-artist Futura in particular, and several very good 12'' action figures, such as the "Agency Preventive Evil Series", always in collaboration with A Bathing Ape.

Nigo also founded the Human Made label in 2010, of which he is artistic director. With this brand or BBC Icecream, he made a few regressive editions of toys.

In 2003, he also created the Billionaire Boys Club brand with Pharrell Williams, who has since gone from rapper to fashion icon. Toy design is a leitmotif of the BBC project whose mascot is an astronaut. This has led to beautiful collaborations with Takeshi Murakami, André Saraiva, Hebru Brantley or Steven Harrington…

Billionaire Boys Club has also produced toys around Peanuts, Mickey and Astroboy licenses with Medicom Toy and Toycube.

A long-time partner of NIgo, Hiroshi Fujiwara, nicknamed the "Grandfather of streetwear", is another free spirit of streetwear from Harajuku. He broke away from his Goodenough brand in the early 2000s to create the design and consulting agency Fragment Design, with which he collaborates with the biggest luxury and streetwear brands. Among the most spectacular Toy Design collaborations, there were 3 series of exceptional Be@rbricks revisited in porcelain with the Cutany motif, in wood with the Japanese cabinetmaker Karimoku or in crystal with Baccarat. For the pop culture Be@rbricks, the licenses Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty, Peko Chan and Winnie the Pooh are the ones he favored.

Another Harajuku figure, Jun Takahashi founded the Undercover brand in 1993. Influenced by street culture, punk and Japanese culture, he has positioned himself in the high-end streetwear niche. Takahashi likes to tell stories, as evidenced by the "Underman" collection and the various characters created for the occasion. Underman is a fictional hero whose sole purpose is to recover souls stolen by evil forces and return them to their owners. The collectibles pay tribute to Underman but also to the evil soul thieves. Versions of the characters have been produced on vinyl figures and 12” action figures.

Jun Takahashi and Undercover are also responsible for the Bear Kaws Companion created and published in 2009 with New York artist KAWS.

Neighborhood was created by Shinsuke Takizawa, an enthusiast of motorcycles, workwear, military imagery, and London punk. He brings a more rebellious touch to the Uru-hara movement. With each new collection, Neighborhood offers ceramic art objects, and the incense chamber became the cornerstone of the project. Artists from Graffiti, fashion, streetwear or music enrich the series every time. Fututa, Mr Cartoon, Travis Scoot (Cactus Jack), Pharrell williams… the list is very long.

Neighborhood also has a mascot, a dog, named Zooth, and over time, he has had children: Big Shadow, Red, or Weeny… and toy design iterations are numerous, in collaboration with Medicom Toy or NH Toys.

Three other Toy Design collaborations stand out at Neighborhood.
First, a collaboration with the American artist Kaws in 2007, and his revisiting of the mascot Zooth, all bandaged up with the legendary Companion ears. More recently, Neighborhood has graced us with a new collaboration with Japanese artist Bounty Hunter, for a new two-headed "Skulls-Kun". Also very recently, the brand collaborated with tattoo artist Dr. Woo and Edison Chen from Clot for the edition of the surprising Kakigoriman Lamp.

It's hard to talk about Japanese Streetwear without introducing Honma Masaaki, founder of the Mastermind brand in 1997, surely the most luxurious extrapolation of streetwear. And this can be felt in the numerous editions of Be@rbricks of the brand, where gold, black and silver colors are omnipresent. Wood is also honored with 4 editions piloted by Japanese cabinetmaker Karimoku. The most surprising Be@rbricks however remain the "Crystal Decorate" in white and gold or black, released in collaboration with Lights Style and adorned with Swarovski crystals.

Even if it is not a brand per se, how can we not mention ATMOS? Based in Tokyo, this sneaker boutique created by Hidefumi Hommyo in 2000 is considered one of the temples of the sneaker world and is one of the brands - along with Bape, Fragment Design and Undercover - that have all contributed to developing the image of Japanese streetwear worldwide. And at Atmos, all collabs and anniversaries are an opportunity to edit a Be@rbrick. Among the most notable, the "Animal" Be@rbrick which takes the design of the Animal Pack 2.0 released in March 2018 with Nike, or the numerous Be@rbricks in collaboration with Staple Pigeon, Coca Cola...

In 2020, as part of an Atmos x Adidas collaboration with Chinese artist Kasing Lung, Atmos Bangkok released a limited edition of Mini Labubu, the artist's flagship character.

The same year, alongside the 'Duck Camo' Atmos x Nike Air Max collaboration, Atmos Tokyo teamed up with Takara Tomy, the Japanese branch of Transformers, for an ultra-limited edition of Optimus Prime in a 'Duck Camo' version.
More recently, Atmos Tokyo collaborated with Tokyo-based Toy Design producer Secret Base and The Simpsons licence to produce an X-Ray Bart Simpson figurine.

 

 

II - THE UNITED STATES OF STREETWEAR AND TOY DESIGN, FROM WEST TO EAST:

NIKE is undoubtedly the American flagship of streetwear! The brand created by Philip Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1968 in Oregon has gone from being a sporting goods company to the most powerful and coveted streetwear brand in the world, both on the fields and on the catwalk.

The story really begins in the early 80s when Nike went public and became the leading athletic shoe company in the US. The brand launched the Air Force One in 1982 and signed Michael Jordan in 1984. The same year, Jordan was elected rookie of the year. A consecration that will strengthen the passion of fans for the player as much as for his Air Jordan 1, however banned by the NBA. And, what was supposed to destroy the Air Jordan 1 will propel it to the top. However, it is to the Nike SB (Skateboard) division and the launch of the Nike Dunk SB in 2002 that led to the emergence of modern streetwear. With its limited edition distribution, endless colorways and numerous collaborations, the SB line became the essential streetwear shoe of the 2000s. And it was also during this time that Nike developed its finest toy design concepts.

Coolrain is a South Korean Toy Designer very inspired by Street-Culture. Since 2004, he has been handcrafting articulated 12'' streetwear figures with impressive precision and attention to detail, especially for clothing and sneakers reproductions. His first feat was the "Monsterz crew" series, with many of the characters wearing Nike outfits. Nike saw a real opportunity and invited Coolrain to work on the 23rd anniversary of the Nike Dunk, for which he created up to 100 different models! Some models will also be presented at the "Be true" event in 2008.

Coolrain continues its collaboration with Nike with a series of customized 10cm figures called "Dunkeys", consisting of 6 very aggressive monkeys and gorillas wearing Nike and Jordan gear. The futuristic primates play an unbridled version of basketball called PreyBall, where the completely team-less players have only one obsession: making money.

Coolrain will then work on the Nike Air Max Days in 2014 and 2015. For the occasion, he shaped a lunar landscape, marked with a Nike imprint, with characters wearing realistic space suits. The latter wear space boots derived from Nike Air Max Lunar90, ultra detailed, as always.

Nike has also collaborated on many occasions with Hong Kong toy designer Michael Lau, author of the Toys Gardener, Crazychildren, Mr. Shoe, Lamdog or NY Fat series, and considered by many as the master thinker of toy design.

His first collaboration with Nike dates back to 2006, for the launch of the Swoosh shop in Hong Kong and for the 7th anniversary of his studio. He unveiled his Nike SB Wood Dunk. The very limited pack, designed around wood and intended for the Asian market, includes the sneakers, a Gardener NY Fat and various accessories.

2 years later he repeated the experience with the Air "Crazy" Force 1 for which he found his inspiration in a psychiatric hospital. From the quilted leather of the shoe to the accompanying "Crazy Michael" figure, the references are clearly palpable

In the meantime, Michael Lau has collaborated with Nike Pro. This collaboration resulted in 3 x 20’' figures of Roger Federer, Ronaldinho and Kobe Bryant in Nike Pro gear. The limited edition of 250 pieces will only be auctioned for charity.

Nike also – more recently – wowed us with the Nike SB x Gundam collaboration. The brand has teamed up with the toy giant Bandaï to create 2 models of sneakers and 2 kits inspired by the Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode) and the Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee (Destroy Mode).

To crown the operation, Bandaï also called on the famous Japanese Toy Designer Touma for a series of 2 figurines in extremely limited editions.

The first NIKE x Be@rbrick sneakers were released in 2010, they were 2 Blazer models. In the following year, 4 AF1 models were released. Between 2017 and 2020, Be@rbrick and Nike have released 4 Nike SB editions, all with Be@rbricks 1000, 400 and 100% (70, 28 and 7cm).

As in rap, there is a remote duel between the East and West coasts in US streetwear. However, it is in California that most of the American streetwear brands are concentrated.


Among them, Vans is an ancestor. Founded in 1966 by the Van Doren brothers, the brand quickly became a reference in board sports, and the Vans Era, with its ultra-grippy waffle sole, in turn quickly became the favourite model of skateboarders.. The Vans Slip-On was to democratise the brand to a wider audience from 1982 onwards, as was Trasher magazine, created in the same year, which proved to be an unfailing communication medium for the brand as well as for the skateboarding community and streetwear culture worldwide in the 1980s and 1990s. In the 2000s, the brand opened up to Toy Design, with some memorable projects.


In 2006, VANS collaborated with German Toy Designers Mark Landwehr and Sven Waschk, better known as Coarse Toys, based in Los Angeles. This resulted in the creation of 2 « Cream » & « Switch » characters, packaged in a nice box with interchangeable pans, legs, hands and heads and various essential accessories such as skateboards and surfboards.

For the 10th anniversary of Coarse Toys, the designers revisited the project and proposed 2 new editions, entitled "Cream" and "Pain". In the meantime, Coarse Studio has developed other characters, very often with Vans anchored to the feet.

For the Vans Classic X Star Wars collaboration in 2014, 6 different sneaker models were designed and South Korean Toy Designer Coolrain Lee was responsible for materializing the operation with the object.

For the occasion, he revisited his "Break Time" & Mr. Series series.

Vans has also produced more stylized toys like "The Skater" figurine with Buweon or the Hi Monster figurine for the brand's 50th anniversary. To celebrate its 40th anniversary and the opening of a Parisian shop, Vans also teamed up with Artoyz and Toy2R for the limited edition of a 2.5" Toyer Qee.

Founded in the early 1980s by Shawn Stüssy, Stüssy is now one of the most international US streetwear brands. It has benefited from the surfwear trend alongside brands like Billabong or Rip Curl, but above all it has been endorsed by subculture, hip-hop and a certain Hiroshi Fujiwara (Fragment Design), who became the brand's ambassador in Japan in the early 90s. And, the many achievements with the Japanese Art Toys producer Medicom Toy, also brought Stüssy closer to Japan. Collaborations, anniversaries or tours, any excuse is good to release a Be@rbrick.

Stüssy is also a compulsive publisher of Be@rbricks bearing the image of Star Wars.

Still with Medicom Toy, Stüssy has also collaborated with New York Street Artist Reas, also known as Todd James, for 2 series of figures: Be@rbricks but also the "Wayback Throwback ».

X-Large is a streetwear brand and clothing store based in Los Angeles. It was created by Eli Bonerz and Adam Silverman in 1991, based on an idea by Mike D. of the Beastie Boys. Its little sister, the X-Girls brand, was created by Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) and Daisy von Furth. Since then, the brands have multiplied prestigious collaborations in the world of fashion but also in Toy Design.

In 2007, X-Large collaborated with Toy Designer Michael Lau and streetwear brand Fingercoxx, both based in Hong Kong. Inspired by characters from his Crazy Toys series, Michael Lau delivered 6 figures: FX Joe, FX Buster, FGXX Work, Space Finger, Finger King and X-Laugh, the flagship figure of the line.

Between 2007 and 2008, X-Large collaborated with American illustrator David Flores. A Mickey VCD and no less than 6 Be@rbricks 100 and 400% were published.

In 2018, X-Large offers the services of Japanese illustrator Hajime Sorayama, famous for his hyper-realistic pin-ups mixing eroticism, fetishism and SF. The result is 2 pretty Be@rbricks and a sculpture called "Robot Guerilla".

More recently, X-Large collaborated with the English street artist D*Face for a VCD (Vinyl Collectible Dolls) available in 2 versions and 2 Be@arbricks.

Streetwear brand and boutique UNDEFEATED (UNDFTD) has also made a name for itself in LA since 2002. It develops exclusive collaborations and products with influential brands like A Bathing Ape, Neighborhood, Adidas, Converse, Nike, Vans… It has also developed some interesting collaborations with Medicom Toy around the Be@rbrick, the U-Man - its mascot- or Disney characters like Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse.

In 2003, still in Los Angeles, Bobby Kim and Ben Shenassafar created The Hundreds, a men's clothing brand and an online magazine. The collaborations are heterogeneous, they reflect the brand's inspiration for Californian culture, pop culture, music, art or skateboarding... The brand has its own mascot: Adam Bomb, which inspired Toy Designer Michael Lau or Medicom Toys. Garfield skateboarder also had the right to his character.

SSUR is the perfect link between the East and the West Coasts. Created in New York by subversive artist Ruslan Karablin, originally from Odessa, the brand migrated to LA in 2010. Karablin's favorite themes are sex, politics and war, and his name as a graffiti artist was RUSS. He stands out from his compatriots with his shocking reinterpretations of current events, luxury or pop culture, immortalized in clothing but also in art objects.

Rebel Ape is a recurring character in Karablin's work. It's a curious mix between Che Guevara and Planet of the Apes. It has been materialized in different forms of busts, 12’’ action figures or Kubrick figures.

SSUR also recently collaborated with Superplastic, an American Art Toys production company created by the former boss of Kidrobot, with whom SSUR had produced the gold and black skull sculpture titled "SSUReal From the Cradle to the Grave » in the past. This time, one of Superplastic's flagship characters - Guggimon - takes the break, made up as Christ with a pile of ingots as a crucifix.

SSUR has also produced some beautiful editions of Be@rbricks with evocative motifs.

Supreme is the streetwear brand of clothing and fashion accessories founded in New York in 1994 by James Jebbia. While its community was initially mainly made up of skateboarders, Supreme is now widely considered to be one of the best streetwear brands in the world. Although James Jebbia has admitted on several occasions that he is not a fan of toy design, he has been involved in it on several occasions.

Centuries-old American brands such as Converse, New Balance, Reebok or Carhartt also have some great Toy Design achievements.

Converse has had a tumultuous history since its creation in 1908. The first brand to create the first basketball shoe - the All Star in 1917 - and to collaborate with athletes, it was quickly caught up on its ground by its competitors Nike, Adidas and Puma in the 80s. For a time, it became the icon of American pop culture, but the brand collapsed in the early 2000s. Bought by Nike in 2003, it gradually regained its colours with some prestigious collaborations with Yohji Yamamoto, Missoni, Louis Vuitton, Comme des garçons, Margiela, Off-White…

In 2010, Converse released a series of 3 "Weapon" sneakers: the "86Basic Hi", the "SF Hi" and the "Street Pattern Mid, each accompanied by a Be@rbrick. 2 editions of Be@rbrick Converses will be released in 2011.

In 2016, for the opening of Converse's Korean online shop and the release of the Chuck II, Converse collaborated with Korean Toy Designer Coolrain, who created 2 new versions of his "Dunkey" character for the occasion. The limited set also included a "No Life Without Converse" t-shirt, in reference to Coolrain's slogan "No Life Without Toys".

In the streetwear landscape, New Balance is an outsider, but over the decades, the brand has managed to pull its weight and is also regularly courted by major fashion designers today. If there is one New Balance toy design project to remember, it is the collaboration with the American artist Ron English for the release of the 850. At the origin of the Popaganda movement - which is a form of "Pop Propaganda" - Ron English uses the iconographic codes of multinational signs and popular culture to create a universe where mythological superheroes and art history are mixed.

In this century-old category, it is difficult not to associate Carhartt with streetwear today. Initially specialised in the manufacture of workwear, the brand gradually diversified. At the beginning of the 90s, it attracted a wider public, notably rappers, who praised its robustness. In 1994, everything accelerated when Work In Progress (WIP) acquired a licence to manufacture Carhartt products outside the United States. The brand opened up to skateboarding and music and launched its first capsule collections in 2010 with A.P.C, Converse, Fragment Design, Nike, Patta and Vans.

Among her toy design feats, let’s mention the Carhartt x Michael Lau collaboration in 2017. The famous Hong-Kong toy designer has designed 2 superb 12" action figures, called « Streetmaxx » and « Workmaxx », in the line of his Garden (Palm)er series.

Like Atmos in Japan, BAIT is an American streetwear and sneaker shop that develops collectibles and numerous collaborations with brands such as Adidas, New Balance, Puma, Reebok... or pop culture licenses such as Bruce Lee, Transformers, the Minions, SpongeBob, Felix the Cat, Naruto and many others.

In 2013 BAIT collaborated with Reebok for the release of the Question Mid "Snake". To celebrate the collaboration they called on the South Korean artist Coolrain. Coolrain created a limited edition figure of American basketball player Allen Iverson, entitled "Bubba Chuck", from the player's nickname in high school. The figure features a unique geometric look and comes with several sets of clothing and a miniature pair of BAIT x Reebok questions in 1/6 scale.

In 2016, on the occasion of the collaboration with Dreamworks and Felix The Cat, and the edition of the N9000 Runner, BAIT released 2 figures with a whole bunch of accessories and a Be@rbrick.

In 2017, BAIT teamed up with Billionaire Boys Club, for a series of figures developed by American artist Hebru Brantley.

In 2018, on the occasion of the Astro Boy capsule collection, BAIT produced several editions of figurines of the iconic character by Osamu Tezuka. The first is an 18" figure. This was followed by two magnificent limited editions with the Tokyo-based brand Ambush. The first one includes the original character in silver and gold. In 2022, Ambush and Bait renewed the collaboration with 'Boy W/ Luv', a superb open hearted metallic version.

In 2018, BAIT took on the Ninja Turtles and Rick & Morty licenses and made a few Bearbricks editions.

III - STREETWEAR AND TOY DESIGN IN EUROPE

Even if Europe's toy design and streetwear scene is less productive than its American or Japanese neighbours, it can count on 2 major brands at the origin of the streetwear / lifestyle movement of the 80s: Adidas and Puma. Both brands were created by two Germans brothers: Adolf "Adi" Dassler and Rudolf "Rudi" Dassler. After a common experience in the development of running shoes for athletes initiated in 1924, tensions arose and they separated in 1948. In the wake of this, one founded Adidas and the other Puma.

The Adidas adventure began in earnest in 1950 and the first shoe was a football boot, the Samba. The first clothes were made in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the brand became lifestyle and its popularity grew in the 1980s, especially thanks to showbiz and artists / musicians like RunDMC, who dedicated their song "My A.D.I.D.A.S" to the brand in 1986. In the wake of this, Adidas signed with Run-DMC the first artist sponsorship deal in its history. Since then, Adidas has become Europe's largest sportswear brand, and it has multiplied its prestigious and eclectic partnerships, from Lego to Manchester United, from Prada to Palace Skateboards... The Yeezy collection developed in partnership with Kanye West or the NMD Hu line with Pharrell William have really helped to anchor Adidas in the modern era of streetwear.

One of Adidas' first Toy Design projects was created by Hong Kong artist Michael Lau in 2003. The "Lamdogstar IV" pack, limited to 200 pieces, includes 2 figurines, a stylized 6inch vinyl Superstar and it all fits in side a nifty shoe box!

As part of its Adicolor program, Adidas then developed a number of Qee editions with the Hong Kong Art Toys producer Toy2R, a serious competitor of Medicom Toy in the 2000s.

Adidas also collaborated with Hong Kong artist Eric So for a figure edition featuring artist and comedian Edison Chen in 2011. Shortly before, they celebrated the 60th anniversary of Adidas with a series of 6 Trexis, designed especially for the Asian region.

At the beginning of 2020, Adidas started a long-term collaboration with Filipino artist Juanito Maiquez, better known as Quiccs, who has been very familiar with the 3-stripes brand since he was very young.

A first series of 3 models approved by the brand will thus be edited, in 3 sizes each: the MegaTEQ 12″, the TEQ63 6″ and the MicroTEQ 3″, all carefully packaged in shoe boxes cut to scale.

At the same time, Quiccs has designed a new model, the NanoTEQ, which it will adapt to the new Adidas models.

The consecration is a Forum Low "TEQ63", a collaborative project between Quiccs and Adidas in 2021.

Rudolf Dassler founded PUMA in 1948 and soon enjoyed a great reputation among sportsmen and women, especially footballers. Eusébio, Pelé and later Maradona will acclaim Puma. The brand also set records in athletics and entered the textile business in the late 1960s. The Puma Clyde, the first basketball shoe, was released in 1973, and tennis also became a staple for the brand at this time. The lifestyle era began in earnest in 1998 with the Puma x Jil Sander collaboration, which marked a real turning point. Today, Puma collaborates with Rihanna (Fenty), Dua Lipa, Liberty, The Hundreds... the brand is totally integrated in the current streetwear landscape and the collaborations with Toy Designers Kiddo or Michael Lau are masterpieces.

Like his South Korean alter-ego Coolrain Lee, Kiddo has made a specialty of streetwear action figures. He worked with Puma on 2 series of action figures for the Arttoy Culture Seoul event in 2014 and 2015.

In 2018, on the occasion of Puma's 50th anniversary, Honk-Kong artist Michael Lau designed several models of sneakers, apparel and accessories for a series titled "SAMPLE". The complete capsule collection was released in 2020.

SILAS (& MARIA) is a lesser-known British streetwear brand, but it is nonetheless a European pioneer in the Toy Design revolution. Silas owes its reputation to English artist/illustrator James Jarvis. Together, in 1998, they created the character Martin, and began to produce him on vinyl, supported by Bounty Hunter in Japan. The result was a long list of vinyl editions and new Silas characters such as Evil Martin, Bubba, Tattoo Me Keith and The Bearded Prophet. The Lars character and the policeman were released under the World of Pain banner. Medicom Toy will be paying tribute to these characters from 2004 with 2 series of Be@rbricks.

MAHARISHI is a London streetwear brand created by designer Hardy Blechman in 1994. With its "Pacifist Military Design" aesthetic, the brand developed the DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material) philosophy and campaigned for the demilitarisation of camo. This earned Hardy Blechman the title of Streetwear Designer of the Year in 2000.

Hardy Blechman drew much of his inspiration from Andy Warhol's 1986 work on camouflage, to the point of dedicating a division to it - Maha Warhol - with numerous editions of clothing, skateboards and various accessories. With Medicom Toy and the Andy Warhol Foundation, they have also initiated a number of Toy Design projects: 2 DPM Identifier Kubrick series, the famous cushion banana plushes (the green version with SSUR), a Factory Kubrick set, various Andy Warhol action figures, Be@rbricks, cuddly toys, etc.

Hardy Blechman also has a strong connection with Hong-Kong artist Michael Lau, as demonstrated by the many collaborations between Maharishi / Maha Toys and Crazy Smile (Michael Lau's label). Boy.D, DJ Panda, MR.Shoe, NYFatcap, Toobigfoot, Pascagoula Alien, the XLAUGH (X-Large) characters, Futura/Womax... have all been produced in Maharishi versions. Hardy Blechman has also been honoured with a Gardener in his likeness - the Wooden Gardener 102 - and several joint exhibitions have completed the unique dimension of this collaboration.

American Street Artist FUTURA 2000 also dedicated the Brown Camo edition of its Nosferatu Pointant 15'' to Maharashi.

Among Maharishi's other memorable Toy Design collaborations, it's hard not to mention the Mr.A cuddly toy by Graffiti Artist André Saraïva, published in 2005, or the series of Megga America Priest figurines created with artist/skater Mark Gonzales in 2006.

In the high-end sportswear sector, the Italian company MONCLER (of French origin) has produced numerous Toy Design projects since its beginnings, and this became even more pronounced after its Lifestyle turn in the early 2000s.

The "Destination Hong-Kong" project was rolled out in 2017 to mark the opening of the shop in Hong-Kong and the release of a special collection in silver tones inspired by the 1970s. To mark the event, New York street artist Craig Costello - a.k.a KRINK - customised 350 Mr. Moncler figures and no fewer than 10,000 Mr. Moncler figures measuring around 50cm were positioned in several key locations in Hong Kong.

Since 2018, Moncler Genius has been evolving its concept of collaborations into a co-creation platform, by pushing the boundaries of what is possible at the intersection of Art, Design, Entertainment, Music, Sport and Culture. From American psyche-pop artist Steve Harrington to extravagant British designer Craig Green, Irish artist J.W. Anderson and Hiroshi Fujiwara with Fragment Design, almost every capsule collection is enhanced by figures or sculptures.

Under the artistic direction of Francesco Ragazzi (Palm Angels), Moncler has launched a series of Pop-Up Stores in Milan, Paris and Tokyo for the 2019 capsule collections. In addition to the collections, each Concept Store offered limited editions of accessories or objects, installations or various artistic events. Numerous other Pop-Up Stores have since sprung up, with toys and sculptures still often taking centre stage.

Alongside Moncler Genius, the brand is developing targeted collaborations, such as the one with Chinese mini-figure giant Pop Mart in early 2022. Emblematic of Moncler Grenoble's expertise, Space Molly showcases the brand's technical, design and lifestyle spirit, and Molly is also a very popular character in China. The 30" (75cm) edition, limited to 2,000 pieces for China, naturally aroused the enthusiasm of local collectors.

Monduck is Moncler's historic mascot since 1952 and one of the symbols retained by the current management team. It has been revisited on numerous occasions and was even the subject of a comic strip for the brand's 60th anniversary. Among the most memorable works on Monduck is one by British street artist Stuart Semple for Art Basel Miami 2008, which was auctioned off to benefit a children's charity in 2009. Japanese designer Kei Ninomiya (Noir Kei Ninomiya/ Comme des garçons) hijacked Monduck for his Genius capsule collection in 2018.

Mr. Mrs. Moncler are the ambassadors of the Moncler brand, embodying both the tradition and modernity of the brand. Their silhouettes are sometimes revisited and they stand proudly in the windows according to the collections or events.

In 2020, the Staple Pigeon x FILA collaboration produced 2 pairs of Sneakers and a magnificent Designer Toy made with the American producer Toycube. In 2021, Salomon called on Hong Kong artist Jim Dreams for 2 colourful editions of the Chunk character, produced by Unbox Industries, also based in Hong Kong.

Salomon, like other European Streetwear/Sportswear brands such as Dr. Martens, Fred Perry, Lacoste or A-Cold-Wall and Acronym at the top end of the market, have also collaborated with Medicom Toy on special editions of Be@rbricks. The Be@rbrick is not yet as popular in Europe as it is in Asia or the United States, but its popularity has grown considerably on the continent in recent years.

IV - FASHION DESIGNERS BY TOY DESIGNERS

Streetwear Designers are sometimes as iconic as certain brands, and it is not uncommon for other designers or toy designers to pay tribute to them.

Danil Yad is a Russian Toy Designer / 3D sculptor and founder of the YARMS design studio. He regularly works on limited vinyl editions with Singapore-based Art Toys producer Mighty Jaxx. He recently revealed himself with his "Authors" collection, dedicated to personalities. The collection features contemporary artists such as Murakami, Kaws, Daniel Arsham and Shepard Fairey, as well as sportsmen and women such as F1 stars and football players from Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City. Danyl Yad has also dedicated 2 series to fashion and shoe designers. The figures in the series all have the same break, they are stylized in the same way, the clothes and shoes are deliberately recognizable and they systematically carry in their arms 1 element which characterizes them, very often a pair of sneakers. Tinker Hatfield, the famous Nike designer, opened the ball and he had the right to several editions, sometimes in Jordan 3 and 11 or with Air Max I and Air Jordan XI "Bred". Jeff Staple (Staple Design) and his famous Nike SB Pigeon Dunks or Virgil Abloh and his Jordan 1 Retro and Jordan 5 Off-White followed suit. Adidas is also well represented in the series with MrBailey and his Ozlucent or Sean Wotherspoon and his Superstar Superearth.

Other fashion and shoe designers were also honoured by Danil Yad, such as Salehe Bembury, director of sneakers and men's shoes at Versace, Errolson Hugh (Acronym Designer), Yoon Han (Ambush Design) or Joshua Vides (CLCC). Artemy Lebedev (Studio Lebedev) was rewarded for his influence in Russia, a country dear to Danil Yad.

Coolrain Lee, the famous toy designer from Seoul, specialises in streetwear action figure 12" and sneaker miniatures. He has done a lot of work for Nike and he has also chosen to dedicate 3 creations to fashion designers in his own way.

For the launch of the Nike Air Fear of God sneaker and apparel collection in Seoul, Coolrain Lee designed a 12" Action Figure of Jerry Lorenzo, the founder of the American streetwear brand Fear of Gold. He is wearing a Nike x Fear of God tracksuit, paired with the Nike Air Fear of God 1 "Yellow".

Coolrain also paid tribute to Salehe Bembury, designer at Versace. The character is dressed as usual, with the iconic Bembury grey beanie, one of Supreme's indigo kung fu jackets, a Nike t-shirt, tie-dye tracksuit bottoms and a pair of Versace Chain Reaction trainers.

For Comme des Garçons Seoul's exclusive pop-up for the Virgil Abloh x Nike "The Ten" collection, Coolrain created a limited edition figure of rockstar designer Virgil Abloh, wearing Off-White clothing and a pair of red and white Air Jordan 1.

V – Artoyz Factory

Artoyz Factory is the division of Artoyz dedicated to collaborations and the design and production of toy design projects on demand for pop culture industries, brands or art galeries.


With a creative studio in Paris (France), Artoyz Factory conceives, designs and 3D models all types of toy design projects. The Factory has production facilities in Europe and China, for mass production as well as limited editions of monumental sculptures.


For any questions or toy design projects, please contact: factory@artoyz.com