If you thought stickers were the preserve of toddlers’ books and playgrounds, think again. Branded stickers are now among the fashion industry’s most sought-after items, something to slap on laptops and lunchboxes as a way of conveying an affinity with a label at a fraction of the cost of buying its goods.
Last week, skateboard brand Palace released its winter sticker pack and it sold out within an hour. With other rare versions, such as a single Supreme x Playboy sticker, reselling online for as much as £200, the big-name fashion brands are also jumping on the bandwagon.
Calvin Klein Jeans recently made stickers using a classic 1980s image by Richard Avedon of Brooke Shields, while the fashion brand Coach has produced leather stickers, and Berlin’s hip o32c magazine featured sticker sheets from Louis Vuitton’s creative director, Virgil Abloh. A partnership between the luggage manufacturer Rimowa and Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson yielded a limited edition of suitcase stickers that sold out immediately.
“It shows you’re part of a subculture,” said Dominik Pollin, of the Dover Street Market bookstore, Idea.
Michael Kopelman, managing director at Stüssy, said: “It’s fun. You can put them on your car or lunchbox. It’s like tagging. Most won’t notice it, but the people who are interested do spot it.”
Although councils in England and Wales restrict flyers and stickers in public places, they are increasingly appearing on lamp-posts and billboards across the country.
