The automotive and fashion industries have been flirting with each other for more than a century, usually with the former in hot pursuit of the latter. In 1977 Ford asked top designers to reimagine the Continental Mark V. More recently Gucci customized a Fiat 500 and Paul Smith a Mini. Today the tables have turned, and now fashion is taking inspiration from car culture.
Automotive fabrics are being used to make garments, Ferrari has launched a fashion brand, and there seems to be a collective obsession with the stars of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, some of whom are hot front-row gets.
Now Team Sweden is pulling ahead with a collaboration between Chimi, a hip eyewear company, and Koeingsegg, makers of the fastest car on earth, that is cosigned by rapper Yung Lean, a.k.a. Jonathan Leandoer Håstad. Called Forca-G (G-Force), this limited-edition drop consists of 300 numbered pairs of sunglasses (in black or silver) and a silver racing jacket made in a batch of 80, in honor of the number of Regera cars that Koenigsegg has sold.
Founded in 2016 by Charlie Lindström and Daniel Djurdjevic, Chimi makes products it calls “engineered for a fearless lifestyle” and is fueled, notes Lindström, by “dopamine culture.” “We don’t really see ourselves as a conventional fashion brand; rather we intend to open up new points of reference for our customers, to work like a platform for our customers to experience and live the culture that every collection is built on,” he says. These themes often relate back to Lindström’s own hobbies, such as snowboarding or running, and product launches are often combined with IRL events that foster community (like, say, a hill run).
The point of connection with Koenigsegg is not a shared activity—Lindström doesn’t race cars—but a shared sense of values and complementary aesthetics. Christian von Koenigsegg is the man behind the Agera RS, whose top speed reaches 447km/h (278 mph). Last week its Regera model broke a record, going from 0 to 400 km/h in just 28.81 seconds.
Koeningsegges are unmissable; their aerodynamic design is purposeful, graphic, and functional. Lindström sees them fitting within the Scandinavian tradition of minimalism, which is where he also situates Chimi. “I’m a big fan of anybody that tries to do something that’s almost impossible,” Lindström says, referencing von Koenigsegg.
The collab underlines the aforementioned dopamine culture by conjuring an emotion—in this case the sudden stomach drop that comes with acceleration, as captured in the short video Yung Lean made to promote the project. In it the Swedish rapper accessorizes his own clothes with a Chimi x Koenigsegg jacket and silver “scars” on his face. This seems fitting, given what von Koenigsegg has to say about the current collision of fashion and car culture. “Hand-built high-performance sports-car brands are starting to cross over to more traditional luxury brands in the consumer’s eye, with the added excitement of animation and sound, portraying a complete lifestyle,” he wrote via email. “When it comes to F1 drivers—they are the modern version of gladiators. They are young risk-takers with clear goals and very visible personalities.”
Made of weather-resistant metal-alloy fabric, the silver Forca-G jacket Yung Lean sports has the qualities of soft armor. Extra-strong neodymium magnets allow the wearer to attach a matching eyewear case to the jacket. The sunglasses have an aviator shape that follows the lines of Koenigsegg cars—which also dictates the use of material, light titanium mixed with carbon—and the mineral lenses offer total UVA protection. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.
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