Fans of “The Last of Us” can now snatch up their own denim for the end days.
Wrangler announced Thursday it had teamed up with HBO’s “The Last of Us” to bring consumers a limited, two-part drop inspired by the show.
Wrangler plans to release nine items in two installments, each of which has a distinct, rugged look aligned with the arduous journey the characters embark upon in the show. HBO’s “The Last of Us” follows characters Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, and Ellie Williams, played by Bella Ramsey, as they trek across an America ravaged by a pandemic onslaught by a mushroom.
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The show, based on a video game by developer Naughty Dog, returns to HBO on April 13. Wrangler dropped the first part of its collection with “The Last of Us” on Thursday, and the second drop will debut May 1.
Vivian Rivetti, vice president of global design for Wrangler, said the collaboration between the brand and the show first came about because Pascal’s character wore Wrangler apparel throughout the show’s first season—and because it fit the ethos of the brand.
“This collaboration was a really natural fit from the get go. In Season 1 of the HBO original series, Joel wore Wrangler several times, so the brand’s apparel was already in the show. In addition, because Wrangler makes pieces that are durable and high quality, the collaboration with a show about grit and resiliency really made sense for the brand,” Rivetti told SJ Denim.
The first drop pays homage to Jackson, Wyo., where Season 2 begins, after the two main characters found temporary refuge there in Season 1. Designs focus on Western, cowboy-like styles, including a denim shirt, a denim jacket and a pair of jeans. Each of the three pieces were made using pre-distressed denim, Wrangler said.
Rivetti said cowboy-cut pieces were the perfect way to embody Jackson’s character, while also integrating storylines from the show.
“For the first drop, which is a three-piece denim collection, Wrangler used our authentic denim throughout to reflect the rugged cowboy style of Jackson, Wyo., where Season 2 begins,” she said.
The second drop will feature six pieces meant to be a nod to Seattle, bringing in elements that are representative of the Pacific Northwest and of the characters’ journey in Season 2. The pieces include a camouflage set with a shirt and utility pants, a denim carpenter pant and three T-shirts, which Wrangler anticipates consumers can use as an ideal layering piece.
Rivetti said the camouflage, in particular, was directly influenced by the show, while the other styles lean more heavily on Seattle’s influence.
“The second drop, coming in May, will include a custom cordyceps camouflage mushroom (a shirt and matching utility pants) inspired by the show’s cordyceps mushroom, and a tinted denim carpenter pant and three-pocket tees that are drawn from the rugged utility styles of Seattle, where the second half of Season 2 takes place.”
The collection retails for $35-$90. Each piece features a small badge with iconography from “The Last of Us,” Rivetti said. Though the pieces feature that badge, Rivetti said she knows the pieces the Wrangler team designed offer versatility and fit in with the at-large market trends Wrangler has been watching in the denim space.
“Though this collection is designed and inspired by ‘The Last of Us,’ Wrangler really sees each piece as something that anyone can wear, regardless of whether or not you are a fan of the show. And that goes back to the popularity of utility and Western wear right now,” she said. “The brand had already seen an increased interest in distressed denim and cargo and utility pants over the past several months, not just with this collection.”
