In what has to be one of the best sounding collaborations ever, one of Japan’s most popular manga series, Jujutsu Kaisen, is teaming up with luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. The collaboration will translate the manga’s most popular characters into “distinctive garments and accessories” in the style and design that has made the high-end clothing brand one of the top names in the fashion world.
Early last month ZeroBase Shibuya, a pop-up store in Tokyo’s trendy Shibuya District invited visitors to enter, discover, and learn about the newly formulated Jujutsu Kaisen + Dolce & Gabbana partnership for a new line of clothing and accessories. It was an unexpected announcement that caught fans of both the manga and the fashion line unawares. According to the information provided at the store, the collaboration seeks to leverage the unique style, influence, and popularity of each brand in order to offer a unique but memorable experience to customers. In addition, visitors are also treated to a one-of-kind artwork by Sunghoo Park, director of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime adaptation. Days later similar pop-up stores opened in Tokyo’s Shinjuku District as well as in Osaka.
To construct a truly memorable collection, the partners decided to focus on distilling the essence of the manga’s most iconic characters and reformatting that essence into Dolce & Gabbana fashion. By the looks of the collection, which is currently posted on Dolce & Gabbana’s website, the fashion masters hit the perfect Jujutsu Kaisen vibe. Perhaps the best illustration of this is Dolce & Gabbana’s interpretation of Tokyo Jujutsu High sophomore Maki Zenin. Maki is from a sorcerer clan steeped in the cursed energy and as such has developed some of the most powerful cursed techniques possible. Despite her bloodline and its reputation, Maki is not a natural sorcerer, often erring where her clan members would have naturally succeeded. As such, Maki has a deep and broad desire that has powered her to succeed and prove her clan’s mockery of her wrong.
Dolce & Gabbana perfectly translates Maki’s no-nonsense, bootstrapping attitude with a conservative set piece that includes a plain but stylish, over-large, white Oxford shirt paired with crisp, pleated black trousers. Accessories include a classic “DG” belt and a pair of rectangular Dolce & Gabbana glasses that mirror those worn by Maki in the manga. The outfit is completed with a pair of Dolce & Gabbana Cardinale Crystal Embellished Boots. In contrast to the reality, anyone coming across a Maki dressed like this in the Jujutsu Kaisen manga would not be faulted for thinking she’s as hardcore as her clan’s reputation suggests. It just drips “Don’t tread on me” energy, which is exactly what Maki wants people to think as she wills herself to become the sorcerer she hopes to be.
In addition to Maki, the other eight manga characters included in the collection are: Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisak, Toge Inumaki, Kento Nanami, Panda, and Satoru Goju. Each ensemble perfectly captures the essence of the character it is based on. The Jujutsu Kaisen x Dolce & Gabbana special collection is now available in selected boutiques throughout Japan.
