Two brands, one common attitude: The international board sports and lifestyle specialist Blue Tomato and the Berlin collective The Dudes have released an exclusive, limited collection with “Tomato Salad Days”. This combines streetwear, art and youthful energy in an unusual way. The collaboration was duly celebrated at the pre-launch event in the Blue Tomato Shop Berlin City. It was the start of a tour through six cities in Germany and Austria.
Nostalgia, humor and attention to detail
“Tomato Salad Days” is a look back at the golden days of youth – a time when everything was light and full of energy. The limited collection includes streetwear such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, pants and shorts as well as caps, sunglasses, socks, mugs and collectibles. What sets them apart from usual collaborations: In addition to elaborately designed patches, selected shirts also have NFC chips that, when scanned, link to further content, products, competitions and works of art.
Youthful energy brought to the point in a playful way
“The Dudes’ creative spirit is based on a certain type of humor – we definitely don’t take anything too seriously,” said McBess, illustrator and co-founder of The Dudes. “And we’re sticking to this spirit as we develop our brand. It’s about youthful energy, and ‘Tomato Salad Days’ is a playful way to sum that up.” Jonas Pernitz, responsible team manager in event marketing at Blue Tomato, adds: “With The Dudes we have found partners whose attitude and imagery fit our community perfectly. This collection is something really special – personal, craftsmanlike and with real artistic standards.”
The Dudes was founded in Berlin in 2010 by a group of friends, including French illustrator McBess (Matthieu Bessudo). His distinctive imagery combines early 1930s animation aesthetics with modern design and includes references from music, food and underground culture. Over the years, The Dudes have built an international following in the streetwear and graphic communities.
Surprise for the brave at the “Tattoo Glory Hole”
A special highlight of the series of events is the “Tattoo Glory Hole”: visitors stick their arm through an opening in the wall and receive a surprise tattoo without knowing the motif or placement in advance. The Dudes run their own tattoo studio in their Berlin shop and surprised everyone with this spontaneous, humorous event attraction. The city tour program is complemented by DJ sets, Frisbee golf, beer pong, DIY patch workshops and the “Wheel of Misfortune”.
Four more stops in Germany and Austria
April 30th – Blue Tomato Shop Freiburg
01.05. – Blue Tomato Shop Innsbruck
07.05. – Blue Tomato Shop Vienna Neubaugasse
09.05. – Blue Tomato Shop Linz
All information about the collab with The Dudes can be found online in the Blue Tomato Blue World.