Documenting Fashion's Obsession With Playboy

The fashion world has pretty much always been obsessed with the Playboy aesthetic, ever since it was first founded back in 1953, thanks to its fruitful relationships with cover girls and fashion models like Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, not forgetting Baywatch star and current fashion icon Pamela Anderson. But in the last decade, its collaborative appeal has hit an all-time high.

Since 2010, the magazine-turned-brand has collaborated with the likes of Supreme, Soulland, FILA, Pleasures, Marc Jacobs and Oceanus -- and that's not even half of the names on the list. Partnering with everyone from streetwear pioneers to swimwear labels, Playboy has since cemented itself as one of fashion's favorite visionaries, but how did we get here, and when did it all start?

Aside from several smaller fashion labels, Supreme was reportedly one of the first major brands to team up with the bunny-based pioneers, applying the iconic logo to its signature stadium jacket, polo shirt and coach jacket. Additional collaborations with Supreme surfaced again in 2015 and 2016, followed by similar labels like Soulland, Pleasures, HUF and Anti Social Social Club, quickly cementing the brand's positive influence on streetwear. The relationship between streetwear and Playboy hardly feels like a surprising one, given the former's typically male-dominated association, but in recent years, even that's changed for the better.

In 2021, Cardi B was appointed Playboy's first-ever Creative Director in residence, announcing her first project with the brand which aimed to rival platforms like OnlyFans. While the appointment didn't have a direct link to fashion, it acted as a wider statement that signalled a more inclusive future for Playboy, one that suggests more ownership, power and control for women. It's decisions like these that had a bigger implication on the brand's perception, reimagining it as one that celebrates and empowers women as opposed to seemingly taking advantage.

Following Cardi's appointment, Playboy announced collaborations with FILA and Oceanus, with the former centering around womenswear pieces, including baby tees, miniskirts and track pants, further expanding both their womenswear offering and appeal. Speaking about the collaboration, Special Projects Manager at FILA, Marc Canipa explains, "we decided to partner with Playboy as FILA was shifting focus towards their brand icons and historical styles. As both brands had significant eras through the 1970s, we felt that it was important to capture this era via Playboy's archive imagery."

Adding to its more inclusive chapter, the brand's team up with Oceanus resulted in a 31-piece swimwear collection which aimed to celebrate female empowerment and create pieces for everyone, with the campaign itself starring founder Hannah Attalah at the height of her pregnancy.

That same year, Playboy made another foray into the world of jewelry, teaming up with London-based label Hatton Labs for a second time, followed by Drake's OVO and Studs. After jewelry, Playboy took a firm step forward into lingerie, presenting what appeared to be its debut collection in 2022, after the appointment of Honey Birdette's Mel Floyd as its new design director for lingerie.

Speaking about her creative vision for the brand and the appeal of Playboy, she told us, "I had some ideas when they first came to me and asked, 'Are you interested in Playboy lingerie?' I had an idea of what I thought it was or could be. But it is evolving. I think because this is a brand that can cross so many scopes of what you want from it, it has longevity, and it has the space to grow."

Revisiting its icon status, Floyd adds, "Simply put, Playboy just is iconic. There is no other lingerie brand that has a recognizable logo. The bunny head also signifies so much. It really is an icon of sexual expression and freedom. So just having it on lingerie says a lot. It's symbolic." It's hardly surprising then, that the logo would also become one of the most iconic within fashion, too.

Later, the brand expanded into denim, announcing its debut collection which featured an extensive women's range of low-rise, baggy styles and flared pants, further cementing its unique and necessary space within fashion.

Not long after its denim debut, Playboy seemingly set out to make footwear an iconic part of its repertoire, following initial collaborations with Supreme and Vans, plus kitschy items like pool sliders with Pleasures. In 2022, British footwear label DUKE + DEXTER announced its second team up with the brand, placing classic designs on penny loafers for both men and women, before returning for round three last year.

"They have such a strong visual identity, one that entirely revolves around pleasure and they're not afraid to shy away from that. It's very consistent," DUKE + DEXTER founder Archie Hewlett tells us.

Off the back of its recent footwear releases, the brand unveiled a sleepwear collection, followed by a new collaboration with Spanish label Nude Project. Celebrating the magazine's 70th anniversary, the collection paid tribute to Playboy's distinctive aesthetic, drawing influence from the world of art -- a space, which, arguably, Playboy also now finds itself in.

Essentially, Playboy has come a long way since its inception in the '50s, starting out as a magazine that simply featured iconic women (albeit through the lens of the male gaze) and transitioning into a fully-fledged brand for iconic women, alongside streetwear aficionados, collectors and fans of fashion alike.

With the help of its celebrity fanbase, iconic logo and playful aesthetic, the brand has firmly cemented its place within fashion, and likely will continue to, especially as its newfound association with female empowerment and inclusivity grows.