Anime apparel can be so much more than a character screen printed on a T-shirt, and Atsuko proves it.
The company, which debuted its three newest collections at this year’s New York Comic Con (NYCC), blends Japanese streetwear styles and high-fashion trends with imagery from popular anime properties, but at a budget-friendly price point. The new collections at the show included apparel and accessories inspired by One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach.
During the show, we chatted with Stephanie Benjamin, a designer for Atsuko. She directly worked on both the Naruto and Bleach collections, which were her first projects at the company.
When reflecting on each collection, Benjamin selected a piece she was wearing as her favorite of the Bleach-inspired items. The mock turtle neck top is a new silhouette for the company, and one that is more geared toward women. The top is designed to be worn alone or as a layering piece, decorated with a soul chain pattern. “I feel like from far away, it just looks like a very bold choice,” she explains. “And then up close, it just kind of has that deep nostalgia embedded into it.”
For the Naruto collection, Benjamin says that the Naruto Mountain Cropped Hoodie is a standout item. The piece, which depicts the Hokage Mountain, is designed to be slick on the inside instead of soft, for a cooling effect. This means that fans who live in warmer climates can wear the piece, and it can also be used as an activewear item.
The Naruto collection also introduces some new design elements: Two of the pieces, for example, feature lenticular components. These elements reveal a different image, depending on how you look at them. This collection also utilized pearlescent detailing, which looks metallic and shiny while also being matte. One piece uses this styling for flames, for an effect that looks like real fire.
“It’s subtle and tasteful and not like, you know, shiny foil or something like that,” Benjamin explains. “So that’s really what we’ve been trying to dive into for a brand, just bringing more elevation to the art application.”
Finally, for the new One Piece collection, Benjamin names the patchwork hoodie and the bomber jacket as the top-selling and most-requested items. This was actually the second year in a row that Atsuko revealed a One Piece collection at NYCC. Benjamin attributes the repeated successful One Piece collaborations to Toei Animation’s communication and collaboration as a licensing partner. For the new collection, the animation studio provided Atsuko with artwork that they hadn’t given anyone else, giving the collection a look that no other One Piece products have.
“We work together, and we pick which [designs] we think would be the best fit to basically bring to the next level, and we do something a little bit different,” she says. “I feel like that’s why we do what we do. Because I feel like fans don’t necessarily understand how much behind-the-scenes happens before the product gets to them. It’s a lot of work, but I really feel like it’s paid off.”
All three of these new collections, along with Atsuko’s extensive anime-inspired offerings, are available to shop now at atsuko.com.
