Lightning always appears before thunder. Since its founding in 2005, fragment design has permanently etched its lightning bolt insignia into street culture, where music, fashion, and art intersect. The brand creates without boundaries, bouncing from medium to medium without warning, throwing aside all expectations, except for one: collaboration.
While most brands only utilize collaboration sparingly, fragment design has built a business on it. Founder Hiroshi Fujiwara, also dubbed the Godfather of Streetwear, established a reputation for his impeccable taste long before fragment began. Fujiwara pioneered the bridge between Japanese and Western street culture through his network of friendships and in turn, fragment became known as a leading tastemaker in Japan. Now, fragment boasts a long list of major collaborations with the likes of Nike, Louis Vuitton, Starbucks, Beats by Dre, Levi’s, and the list continues to grow as new projects are introduced every year.
Recently, images have leaked showing the next fragment collaboration in the release pipeline, a Jordan 3. The sneaker community has treated fragment Jordans like a holy grail since the Jordan 1 fragment debuted in 2014 and now fragment and Jordan fans alike will have an opportunity to bring home a piece of history with this new collab. Hiroshi Fujiwara was reportedly selected to design his own “The Ten” collection to complement Virgil Abloh’s line in 2017, but because of unknown circumstances, Fujiwara’s samples (including a Jordan 3 iteration) never saw a release. Now, the second release of fragment Jordans is actually happening and Jordan fans could not be more ecstatic. In light of the situation, we looked back at the most notable fragment collabs and highlighted some of our favorites.
These are the best fragment collaborations available on StockX right now.
Jordan 1 Retro fragment
The Jordan 1 Retro fragment is arguably one of the best Jordan 1 colorways of all time, and for good reason. Fujiwara instilled a timeless feeling in his design by utilizing classic Jordan 1 Black Toe color-blocking as a foundation. Then, by replacing hits of red with Royal blue and adding a debossed lightning bolt logo on the heel, a unique colorway was created. These Jordans helped fragment design transcend its status as an underground institution to and become a thoroughly mainstream phenomenon.
Not only is this fragment Jordan one of the most coveted items in Fujiwara’s ongoing collaborative efforts with the Nike family, but it is one of the most expensive shoes in the entire Jordan category, selling at an average price of $3,210 in the past year.
Anti Social Social Club x fragment Blue Bolt Hoodie
Anti Social Social Club has risen as one of the most popular streetwear brands since its emergence in 2015. Like many of its forefathers, it was only a matter of time before the Godfather of Streetwear gave his stamp of approval via collaboration. The Anti-Social Social Club X Fragment Bolt Hoodie capitalized on the fire of today’s logomania, blending the motifs of the past and the future.
Nike Air Force 1 Low fragment design x CLOT
Ever since the release of the Air Force 1 HTM in 2000 (the first collaborative product line between Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield, and Mark Parker), Fujiwara has left his mark on some of the most celebrated silhouettes in Nike history. 2019 was no different when fragment design teamed up with CLOT and Nike to release the special edition of the buzzing silk tapestry AF1 with the Nike Air Force 1 Low fragment design x CLOT. Like previous CLOT Air Forces, underneath the black silk lay a red leather upper that could be revealed with DIY efforts.
Dr. Martens 1461 fragment Hollingborn
Even though the Jordan 1 fragment is the shoe that introduced a new wave of Jordan fans to the world of fragment design, Hiroshi Fujiwara’s resume of shoe collaborations is deeper than Jordan Brand and Nike. His range extends beyond sneakers and occupies a small space in formalwear, with the help of iconic UK footwear label Dr. Martens. The Dr. Martens 1461 fragment Hollingborn pay homage to Fujiwara’s UK punk inspiration while bringing a minimal flex that is fit for any formal occasion.
Louis Vuitton x fragment Keepall Bandouliere
Despite the flashbacks of internet hysteria surrounding the LV Box Logo tee, Supreme wasn’t the only streetwear powerhouse to collaborate with Louis Vuitton in the Fall of 2017. Kim Jones enlisted Hiroshi Fujiwara to co-design a menswear collection with products ranging from Ready-To-Wear garments to accessories. Out of the collection, the Louis Vuitton x fragment Keepall Bandouliere resonated the most with the history of LV and the mission of fragment design, which brought a futuristic outlook to classic products.
Nike Fragment Sock Dart
While the fragment Jordans garnered most of the attention in December of 2014, fragment design also resurrected one of the most overlooked silhouettes in Nike’s archive. The Nike fragment Sock Dart meshed minimalism with comfort, providing an easy sneaker choice for days where socks are optional. Not many stores received the fragment Sock Dart, so happening upon deadstock pairs in 2020 is a rarity to say the least.
FRGMT x Pokemon
Fujiwara established his influence in Japan through his collaborative efforts with fragment design. Nobody could predict that he would work his way from BAPE collaborations in the early 2000s to an eventual partnership with one of the largest media franchises in the world. In 2018, fragment design and Pokémon teamed up to launch a new collaborative project titled the THUNDERBOLT PROJECT, an apparel and accessory line featuring graphics of some of the most notable Pokémon. The line has released a series of capsule collections, each one focusing on a new character.
