We get a look at the Japan-exclusive JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure x Bulgari crossover collection, and we think it looks awesome!
It’s no secret that manga artist Hirohiko Araki, the creator of the internationally popular JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise, is fond of Italian high fashion. In the past, he’s collaborated with Italian luxury brand Gucci and even created a fun short manga story titled Rohan Kishibe Goes to Gucci, in which the characters showcased a beautiful line of actual Gucci apparel and fashion items.
So, when it was announced that Araki was collaborating with another high-end Italian fashion brand, Bulgari, it wasn’t exactly a surprise, but we were nonetheless delighted with the prospect of seeing unique designer items featuring the world of JoJo. What’s more, when we heard that the collaborative items designed by Araki would be displayed in a special pop-up space in the Isetan Shinjuku Department Store, we knew we had to go take a look!
▼ Here we are at Shinjuku Isetan!
▼ Of course, it’s Bulgari and Isetan, so they know how to put on a fancy show!
▼ Yes, we could tell the bags were beautiful, even without getting up-close.
▼ “Bulgari x Hirohiko Araki”, a glorious collaboration indeed!
Some of the panels also featured exquisitely designed illustrations of “Killer Queen”, one of the most powerful and popular “stands” that appear in the JoJo franchise.
In the JoJo universe, “stands” are the physical manifestation of the supernatural powers wielded by the characters in the story, and Killer Queen, while an explosively dangerous stand belonging to a deadly villain in the manga’s fourth story arc, has always been a fan favorite owing to its elegant cat-like design and exceptional strength.
▼ As a bonus for JoJo fans, there was even a special illustration by Araki on display featuring the lovely lady characters, Yasuho and Yukako. It was a treat to see the characters from two different JoJo story arcs come together in a single drawing.
Of course, we had to see the Bulgari items as well. Displayed in flawless style on the shelves were bags, scarves and key holders.
▼ Here’s the tote bag (194,400 yen [US$1,700]), designed with a single large Killer Queen face surrounded with numerous small faces.
▼ And this is the exquisite Alba tote bag that comes in two sizes (medium size 270,000 yen, small size 248,400 yen). Check out that Killer Queen staring at you from the metal tag!
▼ The key holder (48,600 yen) features a gold-plated brass Killer Queen face, with the yellow fox fur adding a splash of vivid color.
▼ This shelley scarf (27,000 yen) may appear to be just a delightful accessory that you can simply wear around your neck or tie on your bag, but if you look closely, you’ll see the faces of different stands printed on it.
▼ There’s also a wallet (81,000 yen) that comes in three colors featuring a design depicting Killer Queen in graceful motion.
▼ And we absolutely fell in love with this silk scarf (32,400 yen) illustrated with the face of 12 stands (well, 11 stands and one stone mask, to be precise, we guess).
▼ The pale pink color was simply lovely, and the faces of the stands didn’t look out-of-place on a delicate silk scarf at all!
▼ Here’s a closer look at the individual faces. Can you spot your favorite stand?
▼ And of course, there’s Killer Queen in the center, together with the Bulgari logo.
▼ The items even come in special Bulgari x Hirohiko Araki packaging!
In creating the items, Araki commented that he associated Bulgari strongly with the image of the brand’s iconic serpenti (snake) with its power to protect against evil, and he wanted to incorporate into his designs a powerful character that would also be able to protect people from all things evil, which is why he decided on Killer Queen, one of the most powerful stands in the JoJo franchise.
Well, protection from evil or not, we were seriously impressed with the somehow bold yet intricate design of the collaborative items that certainly make an elegant statement. The collection is on display at Shinjuku Isetan until November 7 and will be available at Bulgari shops in Japan and the Bulgari Japan online shop starting November 10. Thank you, Araki-sensei for a delightful line of items, and we hope we can see more of such creations in the future because they’re definitely a feast for the eyes (even if they’re not exactly kind on your wallet)!
Photos ©SoraNews24
Related: BULGARI website Hirohiko Araki Capsule Collection page