Streetwear collaborations usually just include items like apparel and headwear. Maybe there’s a backpack thrown in, but the selection is typically a bit limited.
Toyota, on the other hand, is going the extra mile with its ’70s-inspired HUF line, including truck-shaped floor mats, racing gloves, and much more, bringing the retro Toyota Racing brand to a modern skate-inspired company like HUF.
“HUF x TRD returns to an era that defined a new frontier, bringing archival colors, graphics, and designs from Toyota’s history to modern silhouettes and styles inspired by the off-rode and made for the streets,” Toyota said in a press release. “Built from hand-drawn illustrations that call back to old-school sketchbooks, workwear and mechanic styles, and under-the-hood schematics, HUF x TRD creates a modern apparel and accessory collection the brings off-road style to a new arena.”
Work pants are printed with engine schematics in white over the khaki material, the classic racing truck is used for everything from keychains to floor mats, and even the soles of socks are printed with “4×4,” using just about every available inch of space for imprints, touching on the very sponsor-heavy nature of a racing jacket.
This collaboration appeals to both the car enthusiast, skateboarder, and streetwear collector, but also appeals to more than just the closet. By including items like floor mats, people who might not have such an interest in clothes can decorate their home or garage.
The designs use more than just the colors to reference retro designs, too. Items like crewneck sweaters use very chunky embroidered images to almost feel like a vintage holiday sweater, and the once-again-popular trucker cap of course makes an appearance.
Finally, HUF and Toyota collaborated on a real-life Toyota Tundra that includes the color scheme of the collaboration, and both the TRD and HUF branding on a modern Toyota pickup.
We got it all…and a Tundra. HUF x Toyota Racing Development drops tomorrow at 9am PST pic.twitter.com/EpKX2NWhyL
— HUF (@hufworldwide) November 8, 2023
In a time where apparel drops are so carefully curated and minimal, this is an example of going big. There are multiple T-shirt designs, sweatshirt designs, jacket designs, and so on. They include hard goods like keychains and lanyards. They use plenty of branding and imprinting, rather than relying on quiet minimalism.
It would feel wrong for a collection like this to go small. Knowing what sort of vibe or aesthetic is right for your customer’s brand is essential for a distributor. They serve as creative directors for the project, and need to translate the history and narrative of a customer’s brand and translate it to a physical product.
