Herschel, Starbucks team up for China set
Vancouver-based brand Herschel is getting into the coffee business. Well, sort of.
The accessories-and-lifestyle company has teamed up with Starbucks for a limited-edition collection of carryalls and coffee mugs, available exclusively at the international coffee house’s shops in China.
We caught up with Herschel co-founder Lyndon Cormack to chat about the release, why coffee is a fit for Herschel and what’s next.
Q For those who aren’t familiar, what is the Herschel Supply x Starbucks China Capsule Collection all about?
A The conversation began out of our office in Shanghai. Starbucks was interested in working with us on a partnership for December of this year, which would celebrate the company’s distinct points of view. We collaborated with them on exclusive carryalls and reusable coffee mugs. Coffee is a significant part of culture everywhere. It’s a very important part of our culture as their neighbour here in the northwest, just a few hours’ drive away from the birthplace of Starbucks. It’s awesome being able to work with them.
Q How did the collaboration come together?
A Starbucks does such a phenomenal job globally celebrating coffee culture and Herschel shares a similar passion for exploration and seeing the world. It was a mutually beneficial time to come together and work on a meaningful collection.
Q This launch marks one of the first fashion partnerships for the coffee company. What’s that like to be a part of ?
A We should probably take more time reflecting on all of the cool projects and things we’ve accomplished in the past decade. Thinking about our partnership with Starbucks, I would definitely put this near the top of the list. Being able to collaborate with such a globally renowned brand on an exclusive collection is an unbelievable opportunity.
Q What inspired the designs?
A The collection is called Journey to the Origin. Sumatra is the origin of Starbucks’ flagship coffee blends. We took inspiration from the lush Indonesian jungle and created a set of versatile carryalls, reusable mugs and refillable Starbucks Cards that reflects the diverse flora and fauna of the Sumatran wild.
We reinterpreted our signature Woodland Camo for the collection adding the Sumatran coffee cherry as part of the print and put it on the mugs and two of our core silhouettes complemented with pops of yellow: the Mica Tote bag and Herschel Supply Retreat backpack, which offers a more robust carrying option.