Fossil launches backpack as part of Smiley's 'Collector's Edition'

Fossil is excited to announce the launch of our limited-edition backpack for Smiley’s exclusive Collector’s Edition — a series of 50 collaborations with some of the most exciting brands across fashion, lifestyle, home, and beauty — celebrating the iconic brand’s 50th anniversary. Initially trademarked in 1972 by French journalist Franklin Loufrani, Smiley is one of the most recognisable icons in graphic design. With a cultural influence ranging from Talking Heads to Nirvana, Acid House to DC Comics, Banksy to Murakami, Smiley has grown to become an international lifestyle brand with over 400 global partners and continues to inspire leading creatives across the worlds of art, fashion, film, music, print and pop culture.

To mark this milestone anniversary, Smiley launches an ambitious and carefully selected collection of 50 brand collaborations through select retail partners around the globe — each inspired by renowned graffiti artist André Saraiva’s reimagining of the iconic Smiley logo. Active in the early Parisian graffiti movement, Andre became widely recognised for his cartoonish characters and his alter ego Mr. A, which quickly became his signature design and an iconic character in the fashion and art world appearing across six continents. When approaching the redesign of the logo, Saraiva wanted to capture the essence of boundless positivity at the core of the Smiley brand. Merging both icons, Mr. A and the Smiley face, Saraiva has created a truly unique design to celebrate the brand anniversary with his signature spray cans.

“As a brand fueled by creativity and optimism, the Fossil team is thrilled to commemorate Smiley. After 50 years, Smiley’s mantra of ‘Take The Time To Smile’ is more relevant today than ever,” says Melissa Lowenkron, General Manager Fossil Brand. “We’re honored to be a part of the Collector’s Edition, launching a limited-edition iteration of one of our most iconic products inspired by Smiley’s legacy and André Saraiva’s reimagining of the famous Smiley face.”

Launching with our bestselling Buckner silhouette, Fossil releases an exclusive backpack as part of Smiley’s Collector’s Edition. A true celebration of the brand’s legacy of happiness, the bag features retro colors, signature and 50th anniversary Smiley graphics, and additional functionality with a detachable fanny pack. One more reason to smile — the ultra-collectible style is also made with vegan cactus and a REPREVE® recycled polyester lining, aligning with Fossil’s pro-planet initiatives. The Smiley x Fossil Buckner Backpack retails for INR 38,995/- and is available in a limited quantity of just 25 units assigned to the Indian market, with around 350 units in total globally.

“After the challenging last couple of years, what better way to navigate out of these times with this campaign that aims to reverse a global smile deficit, spread positivity and fill the world with smiles in 2022,” says Nicolas Loufrani, Smiley CEO. “This campaign has proved that Smiley’s unique, creative and positive symbolism continues to inspire some of the most influential artists, brands and tastemakers across the globe.”

Elaborating on the collaboration in relevance to the Indian Market, Johnson Verghese, Managing Director, Fossil India remarked “Over time, Smiley has rendered itself as a global phenomenon; a one of its kind pop culture celebrities. On the momentous occasion of its 50th Anniversary earmark, Fossil is honored to be associated in taking this legacy ahead with the Collector’s Limited-edition backpacks. With the reimagined unique Smiley logo by André Saraiva amalgamating both iconic logos, Dr. A and the everlasting positivity of the Smiley face to design backpacks, we’re certain every true collector would love to add it to their ensemble of Smiley accessories and products. The icing on the cake is that the collectible is sustainably sourced and manufactured, aligning with Fossil’s pro-environment commitment.”

The Collector’s Edition will be displayed and sold as part of Smiley takeovers of some of the world’s most influential department stores and retail chains, including all Galeries Lafayette stores globally, Nordstrom Special Project stores in the US, Hanhwa Galleria in Korea, Aizel in Moscow, Palacia del Hierro, Mexico, Cidade Jardim in Brazil and Urban Outfitters in Europe. The Smiley x Fossil Buckner Backpack will also be available on Fossil.com and in select Fossil stores.