For Spring/Summer 2021, MCM gets graphic, launching a limited-edition collection inspired by graffiti from up-and-coming Korean artist SambyPen, aka Sam Kim.
The collection illustrates MCM’s DNA of mobility and freedom through vibrant, youthful tones and light-hearted motifs with an attitude. The collection celebrates MCM’s core iconography and reimagines its brand codes according to SambyPen’s signature aesthetic.
The MCM logo design references graffiti street art in bold tones, while the remaining insignia nod to the brand’s journey from Berlin to Seoul through three animal characters: Henry the Timid Lion, inspired by the Munich Lion; Kaiser the Blunt Puppy, inspired by Wilhelm II and the symbol of Germany; and Haru the Wicked Rabbit, inspired by the MCM Rabbit and the German Easter Hare. (MJ Rabbit has a new friend, pictured below. Purr!)
Sam Kim explains how he has deconstructed traditional archetypes and reconstructed them into a modern expression: "The theme of MCM x SAMBYPEN is Media Creates Madness, addressing the contemporary society in which we live. We, who grew up in the Analogue Age, now live in a Digital Age, and have become a generation of chaos and adaptation. The media has an unavoidable role in modern society, where massive amounts of information flow through us via the internet and videos. My focus has always been to observe yet subvert this dynamic by employing unabashed and sarcastic designs against traditional iconography."
The MCM x SambyPen collection spans a full women’s, men’s and unisex ready-to-wear range of apparel and accessories, including jewellery.
Cobalt blue sits alongside bright pops of primary colour, while pastel hues and earth tones are paired with brazen graphics, referencing the chaos of creativity and conformity. Unveiling rich new shapes, the assortment introduces cushions, carpets and slippers as well as polo shirts, cargo pants and shorts for indoor lounging and outdoor living.
Each look is a series of contrasts - day to evening, fierce to vulnerable, intimate to bold, and dressed-up to dressed-down. The collection icons are juxtaposed against MCM’s Visetos, symbolising a journey from past to future.
Dirk Schoenberger, Global Creative Officer of MCM, said: "The shared ethos between MCM and SambyPen has resulted in a collaborative project where art, fashion and entertainment blend and the underground converges with luxury."
The collection is the latest in a series of global collaborations in MCM’s Global Creative Platform, and symbolises unbound freedom, community and playfulness as well as eccentricity and spontaneity.
The distinctive design celebrates Berlin street art and the renowned graffiti scene, reinterpreting it through a lens representing Seoul’s irreverent youth and diversity. The collection is available in-store and online from May 1, 2021.
