NEEDLES, the Tokyo-based label operating under the Nepenthes umbrella, has linked up with Los Angeles-based Brazilian jiu-jitsu lifestyle brand ALBINO & PRETO for a capsule that merges two very different but complementary worlds. The collection launches on June 12.
At the heart of the collaboration is a co-developed all-over textile: both brands' logos are woven together into a signature pattern, then rendered through two distinct techniques — a jacquard weave for the tracksuits and a printed version for the gi. The dual approach lets the same graphic breathe differently depending on the garment, and speaks to the care taken in translating identity across mediums.
Beyond the headline pieces, the collection reintroduces NEEDLES' iconic butterfly motif — a persistent symbol in the brand's visual vocabulary — alongside a newly designed bee icon. Both appear on T-shirts and accessories, expanding the symbolic language of the collaboration into everyday carry.
A rashguard, shorts, and an oversized tote bag round out a lineup that is as much about lifestyle as it is about craft. All pieces are available through Nepenthes' network of stores and its online store from June 12.