ILLEST x Jo Koy Collab Officially Launches On Friday, June 12, 2020
Renowned for its cross collaborative, innovative designs between streetwear and street racing, ILLEST has announced an exclusive merchandise partnership with Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy. Both ILLEST’s collaboration with Koy and Koy’s latest Netflix special — titled Jo Koy: In His Elements — launch on the same day, June 12, 2020. With Koy, ILLEST has created limited-edition tees and hoodies that will be found on IllestBrand.com and JoKoy.com and will be distributed worldwide.
Consisting of 4 pieces ranging from $45 to $85, the collection highlights ILLEST’s iconic trademark design, fit and style, but also draws inspiration from the vision reflected within Koy’s new Filipino-focused comedy special. The collaboration is the first of its kind in the comedy world, following an approach similar to what brands have successfully done previously with musical tour merch such as with Post Malone x Crocs, John Mayer x Neighborhood, and Travis Scott x Virgil Abloh.
Commented Peter Wingsoe, CEO of ILLEST North America: “As a brand, we are extremely excited about working with Jo Koy on this collaboration. In the past we would plan ahead and create timelines that had to be executed months in advance, but now all those pre-existing plans have gone out the window, so we’ve looked for more authentic ways to continue our road to success, not only for ourselves, but for everyone we work with.” Continued Wingsoe: “Since one of our primary Asian markets is the Philippines, it made sense for us to collaborate on a collection with Jo Koy on this Philippines edition of his variety special, Netflix’s In His Elements.”
Added Mark Arcernal, Global Creative Director of ILLEST: “After much back and forth via Facetiming over the last few weeks, Jo gave me a lot of insight into his upcoming special which is launching on Netflix on June 12th. I sent him ideas and we locked in on the iconic Jeepney and old english lettering which he loved and we decided to move forward on that vibe.” Arcenal also noted: “I worked on the initial design and had my team in Asia animate and bring our collective ideas to life. This type of collaborative effort from both sides encompasses who we are as a brand here at Illest. We push each other to bring out the best in everything we do.”
This new ILLEST collection aims to bring something unique to the market: completely on-trend with streetwear fashion while creating a cultural twist that hones in on the true individuality of Koy. Ongoing, ILLEST has continued to build their brand seasonally. In addition, ILLEST recently launched ILLEST CARES, a collection of masks, touchless keychains, gaiters and bandanas. More on all things ILLEST can be found online by visiting ILLEST’s official website at www.illestbrand.com.
