At this point, collaboration culture has hit such a fever pitch that the unexpected pairing is becoming a subgenre unto itself. You’ve got streetwear statesmen like Hiroshi Fujiwara teaming up with Loro Piana, up-and-coming Chinese label 8on8 joining forces with the thoroughly Italian crew at Canali, and cult Japanese footwear brand Hender Scheme bringing its point of view to the Tod’s workshop. But even against this backdrop, some collabs still manage to inspire a soft, somewhat gobsmacked “huh?” when you hear about them.
Such was definitely the case when I first learned that Rhude was gearing up for a brand new drop-November 1 at 9 a.m. PT-that includes an Instant Pot. Yep, Rhuigi Villaseñor, the guy responsible for outfitting NBA stars and megawatt rappers, would be bringing his design ethos to the kitchen tool you use to make chickpea stew on Sunday nights. Not only that, he was going to be collaborating with the whole suite of companies under the Instant Brands umbrella, meaning Pyrex, Chicago Cutlery, and Corelle were also entering the fray in a collection dubbed “Late Summer.” And the kicker is, it’s all really damn cool. Huh?
I had to know how this came together. So I reached out to Villaseñor and Ben J. Gadbois, CEO and president of Instant Brands, for answers. Read on to learn how a covetable convergence of kitchenware and streetwear happens, and why Villaseñor couldn’t pass up a chance to honor his mother with the project.
Rhuigi Villaseñor: From an early age my mother taught me the importance of cooking and family time-essentially how to enjoy life. I felt very privileged when Instant Brands wanted to collaborate on “Late Summer.” Having the opportunity to blend the world of Rhude with Instant Brands to create one-of-a-kind products for people to use while they cook and enjoy food with loved ones and create memories together was an opportunity I could not refuse.
Ben J. Gadbois: As a company we’re constantly on the lookout for like-minded brands and partners who share our values. We decided to work with Rhude as we share a passion for innovation and connecting with consumers. We searched for incredible talent outside of our industry and thought that Rhuigi’s eye for design was a perfect fit. With this collaboration, we’re giving our consumer something unexpected. Our shared vision with the “Late Summer” collection is to inspire a new generation of fans at the intersection of fashion, lifestyle, and cooking.
What made you feel like the convergence of home goods and fashion was a space ripe for exploration?
RV: Gathering around the kitchen surrounded by good company is something that has always been important to me. I created this collection to honor my mother and all of the times we’ve shared together, with our family and friends. Personally, I felt that it made sense to blend two important areas of my life through this collaboration and hopefully as a result create a collection of beautiful pieces that people will turn to time and time again when they have meals at home with those they care about.
BJG: We know that for our consumers, cooking is as much a form of expression as fashion and design can be. So we challenged our team to look to emerging fashion, design, and lifestyle trends as inspiration for the “wow” we want to create for consumers in a completely unexpected way. We were drawn to Rhuigi’s unparalleled approach to design and exploring different mediums. Rhuigi talks about how he approaches design with the goal of celebrating traditions with an unconventional element added to it. This collaboration takes some of our most iconic brands to an entirely new and unexpected level. For the first time ever in its 100-year history, the iconic Pyrex Measuring Cup will be in yellow, which is Rhude’s signature color.
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