NEW ERA x Chiikawa collab blends cuteness with street style
Iconic street apparel brand NEW ERA is partnering with the wildly popular Japanese character franchise Chiikawa.
This unique partnership brings together Chiikawa’s cute aesthetic with NEW ERA’s signature street style and will see a collection of 13 new products released.
Chiikawa is a character series created by Japanese illustrator Nagano.
It gained immense popularity primarily through social media platforms like Twitter (now X) and LINE, where short comic strips depicting the everyday lives of the series characters were shared.
Despite their adorable appearance, the series often explores relatable themes of friendship, minor struggles and the simple joys of life.
This resonated deeply with a broad audience both in Japan and around the world.
Chiikawa’s widespread appeal has led to a vast array of merchandise, animated shorts, and brand collaborations including sponge cakes, ramen restaurants and McDonald’s Happy Meal toys.
The recent Happy Meal toys were so popular that the first wave of toys sold out within 3 days, amid accusations of resellers/scalpers ordering Happy Meals in bulk to get their hands on the toys.
The “Chiikawa x street style” concept is at the heart of this new NEW ERA collection.
Known globally for its high-quality headwear, particularly its iconic baseball caps, NEW ERA has successfully fused its urban coolness with the cuteness of the “Chiikawa” characters.
The collaboration items feature striking embroidered accents, showcasing Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi alongside the prominent NEW ERA logo.
The extensive lineup includes 13 different products, offering something for every fan.
Let’s take a look at the full range of collaboration products!
- 9FIFTY cap: 7,150 yen (approx. $49.81 USD / £37.06 GBP)
- 9TWENTY cap: 5,280 yen each (approx. $36.77 USD / £27.36 GBP) (5 designs)
- Soft cuff knit hat: 4,180 yen each (approx. $29.11 USD / £21.66 GBP) (3 designs)
- Cap keychain: 3,520 yen each (approx. $24.51 USD / £18.24 GBP) (3 designs)
- Light Pack backpack: 11,000 yen (approx. $76.61 USD / £57.02 GBP)
Pre-orders for the “Chiikawa x NEW ERA” collaboration items are currently being accepted through the “Talking Heads” online store.
The collaboration goods will only be available to pre-order for a limited period, until May 28th, 2025, at 11:59 PM JST.
Fans are advised to place their orders within the pre-order window as these limited-edition collaborations often sell out quickly and it cannot be guaranteed that there will be stock available to go on general sale.
Pre-orders are expected to start shipping to customers from late October 2025.
Source: Talking Heads
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