The hottest thing in fashion these days seems to be collaborations. Grab popular Brand X and mix them with popular Brand Z, and you’ve got a product collection that not only creates a little “buzz” within each individual collaborator’s fan base, but potentially attracts new customers as well.
While we’ve seen it at times within the tenkara community, mostly through Tenkara Rod Co.’s collaborations with brands such as Filson or Topo Designs, both of those collaborators had roots in the outdoors, so it wasn’t necessarily a stretch.
What if I told you Supreme, the extremely popular NYC-based skateboarding and streetwear brand, is teaming with niche Japanese outdoor boutique fashion brand South2 West8 this Spring? Oh, and one of the outputs was a co-branded Supreme x South2 West8 tenkara rod produced by Sakura?
Yeah, I wouldn’t have thought that either, but I guess it’s true.
Now, I guarantee this stuff will be sold out quickly when it launches on Supreme’s website this Thursday, April 22nd at 11 AM. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was largely snapped up by folks looking to re-sell it on eBay (or some other marketplace) for triple the price. I mean that’s what always happens with fashion “drops” these days.
I’d also place the odds of any of this product line ever hitting a stream at slim-to-none. In some ways that’s sad, although not unexpected because catching fish was probably was never the point from the beginning. That said, some of it is really cool. Anybody who is familiar with my personal fashion aesthetic knows I’d certainly rock a tie-dye looking fishing bag or jacket on stream.
Anyway, whether this excites, enrages, or finds you indifferent, it’s certainly not everyday you see something like this, so I couldn’t not post about it when I found out.
Really makes one think about what tenkara collaboration might interest you…
Sign me up for Tenkara USA x Star Wars’ dueling Skywalker & Vader zoom rods, or maybe even Tanuki x Taco Bell with the “Cheesy Gordita Snow Ninja” rod. Might sound crazy, but I guess you never know what might happen next! 🔥🔥🔥
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I really don’t understand the point of this collaboration. What exactly is Supreme bringing to the table that will benefit tenkara anglers? Seems like another “me too” scheme to me.
Probably nothing that will benefit tenkara anglers, unless you happen enjoy the style of the clothing. This is just two fashion brands linking up to create buzz with their respective “fans”. One of them just happens to play in the tenkara/outdoors space, so tenkara is coincidental bycatch here. It’s still pretty wild… but we’re probably not the intended audience.
Wanted a Sakura rod for awhile, but this kind of makes me doubt their sincerity. A collab with a fashion company seems contrived and really douchey. No thanks.
Sakura has been making rods for South2 West8 for a little while now, so that relationship isn’t new. I’m sure the latter brought the former into this Supreme relationship. Knowing what a typical Sakura sells for, I’m interested to see what sort of premium gets placed on the retail.
At least the two brands are approaching this with a respected rod maker… even though the rod is probably the afterthought of this much larger apparel collection. They certainly could have went the Alibaba route. Guess it just depends on one’s perspective.
Kind of reminds me when Daiwa did a collab with BAPE “A Bathing Ape” a few years back… thought that was kind of slick at the time. But then again, I fish an Oni Type III, so I have an affinity for fashion camo.
https://www.freshnessmag.com/2011/05/13/bape-x-daiwa-a-fishing-ape-2011-collection/