Millennials (and the older contingent of Gen Z) may now be adults, but their nostalgia for childhood objects appears to be going nowhere. And while fashion may be barreling towards a 2010s revival, brands are channeling their ’90s and early aughts inspiration via unexpected avenues. Beyond the never-ending Y2K fashion revival, labels big and small are dreaming up accessories that resurface childhood memories, reimagining our favorite toys and characters in new—and most importantly, chic—ways.
Just last week, Fendi launched a collection in collaboration with Hiroshi Fujiwara’s FRGMT and The Pokémon Company that featured the various evolutions of the Dragon-type Pokémon (Dragonair, Dragonite, and Dratini) across the brand’s Peekaboo and Baguette bags, as well as on card holders, T-shirts, hoodies, and jewelry. In an especially kitschy turn, the brand has also rendered a limited number of Dragonite leather figurines, requiring 30 hours of work by the house’s craftsmen to produce a single figure.
Silvia Venturini Fendi, the brand’s artistic director of accessories and menswear, declared in a statement: “[Fujiwara has] taken our handbags and made them into mini pop monuments.” And sure enough, the partnership—which honors the Year of the Dragon—instantly garnered enthusiasm on social media, with users declaring that they “would do anything for these bags,” or that they “have never needed anything more.”
It’s not just massive luxury brands like Fendi that are converting these adorable childhood staples into accessories. Smaller businesses, like the Los Angeles-based Kimberly Doyle Jewelry, found success on social media—predominantly TikTok—after debuting a Tamagotchi charm made of 14-karat gold and gemstone embellishments, which she has dubbed the “Gemagotchi.” Doyle leaned into the toylike aspect, making her packaging double as an “adoption certificate” that allowed owners to name their Gemagotchi.
The idea of Tamagotchi-inspired jewelry came to Doyle during a bout of cleaning, during which she uncovered some of her childhood toys. “These digital pets sparked so much joy for me and I decided I was going to make one in gold for myself,” she says. “Once I had my idea it took me about a week to make a prototype.”
The charms were an immediate hit, selling out within minutes of launching on her website. Those who were lucky enough to secure one touted them on social media, while commenters online begged for more drops. (The highly anticipated second drop is expected on February 14.) Doyle, for one, was shocked by the reaction. “I had no idea how these would be received, so I took my time with it, thinking it would be just a one-off piece for myself,” she says.
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Doyle perhaps nails exactly what is so appealing about the luxury rebrand of beloved ’90s toys and pop culture phenomena: Onetime children now have access to adult money.
“I think that a lot of people in my generation are coming to a point in their lives and careers where we have a little more financial freedom,” she says. “I also noticed that as I’ve personally gotten older, my perspective on the things I own—or want to own—has shifted. I want quality over quantity and I think that a lot of people can relate.”
If that means buying a 14-karat gold Tamagotchi or a Fendi Pokémon bag? So be it.
