Chefs Stir Up Streetwear Collabs

Celebrity chefs have occasionally lent their names and expertise to chef-related workwear, including chef’s coats, shirts, and shoes; these typically comprise pieces that are functional, comfortable, and protective, while also fashionable. More recently, as more chefs have built mainstream followings through their social media presences as well as their restaurants, cookbooks, and TV appearances, famous names from the culinary world have been breaking out from the workwear space, entering into collaborations with designers, especially of streetwear, for fashion-first collections: 

• Guy Fieri paired with The Roosevelts (RSVLTS) this month for a Flavortown collection of apparel and accessories made from the latter’s stretchy and breathable Kunuflex material. Fieri, who has regularly worn RSVLTS on and off screen, art directed the collection of short-sleeve button-down and Western roper shirts—in styles with names such as Mas Santo, Mayor of Flavortown, The Fieri, Flame Grillin’, Knuckle Sandwich, and more—as well as hats and an apron. The products are meant to capture the chef’s energy and big personality. Fieri and his Flavortown brand are represented for licensing by IMG.

• Nobu Matsuhisa, known for his sushi and Japanese fusion restaurants including several under the Matsuhisa and Nobu banners, respectively, partnered with designer Chris Stamp and his streetwear brand Stampd in 2021 to create a fashion label called Sushi Club. Regular drops have been tied to different cities and typically sold in locations tied to the chef. A New York Sushi Club collection came out in October 2024, for example, consisting of a limited-edition letter jacket and t-shirt along with a Sushi Force 1 sneaker (with Nike), to mark the 30th anniversary of Nobu. A July 2024 Ibiza Sushi Club collection of three t-shirts and a cap was available at the Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay on the Spanish island. 

• Canadian chef Stephen Yan, known for his TV show Wok with Yan, of which 500 episodes aired from 1970 to 1995 with a strong following across Canada, teamed with apparel label RetroKid in August 2024. The collaboration marked a return to the public eye for Yan after an almost 30-year hiatus. The TV chef became known for sporting a range of Wok-related puns on his aprons, and each brightly colored t-shirt and hoodie in the capsule featured one of those, along with graphics depicting Yan or other images. 

• Pastry chef Cédric Grolet—known for his viral videos, his pastry shop in the hotel Le Meurice in Paris, and his cronuts—was highlighted in a streetwear collection from Highsnobiety in June 2024. It included a chef workshirt, a high-collared hoodie, two t-shirts, and a cap, all with pastry-themed artwork. The chef has also partnered with Cartier, La Prairie, and Havana Club, among others, for pastry-themed luxury goods. 

• Michael Chow, owner of the Mr Chow restaurants, worked with his wife Vanessa Chow to introduce a Mr Chow capsule in June 2024. The t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and joggers in the initial drop were available in white or black and featured images of chef Chow, known as M, by Andy Warhol and Helmut Newton. More collections are planned for the future, to be sold online and through the nine Mr Chow restaurants; they will incorporate images from other artists who have created portraits of M over the years. 

The current trend bringing together chefs and fashion labels, which has intensified in the last year, was foreshadowed by a similar trend, centered in the footwear category, several years ago. By 2018, a number of chefs had signed deals with footwear companies; some of the products were aimed at chefs and home cooks, but many others involved partners like Nike, Adidas, and especially Vans and catered more to fashionistas and collectors. 

A reminder that Raugust Communications’ monthly e-newsletter will hit subscribers’ in-boxes tomorrow, June 17. The Licensing Topic of the Month looks at retail pricing strategies related to tariff uncertainty (to date), while the Datapoint research spotlight examines licensing activity in the collectibles category. If you are not yet receiving this free publication, sign up here. 

And, have you seen our detailed coverage of trends and observations from this year’s Licensing Expo? If not, you can view the summary here.