Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.21900/j.jams.v6.1974

Publication Title

The Journal of Anime and Manga Studies

Volume

6

Issue

2

Pages

1-42

Abstract

While they might seem counterintuitive to traditional concepts of “luxury,” collaborations between luxury and anime brands are a growing pattern reflecting the growth of both industries for key demographics. This paper argues that luxury brands use these collaborations to establish brand relevance and cultural connection while also positioning themselves advantageously against other brands in an increasingly social and online environment. Through a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of Instagram posts and user comments from Studio Ghibli and the Spanish luxury brand Loewe regarding their three product collaborations, we argue that there is a significant amount of room for differentiation in the space. In this case, it is focused not on anime fans in general, but instead on consumers interested in the luxury market that also happen to enjoy anime. We suggest that these collaborations are not intended to massify luxury audiences outside of their existing consumers, but instead to generate additional value and interest in the brand’s luxury identity for coveted young demographics with a global perspective and potential influence.

Rights

© 2025 Theodore Gournelos, David Marutschke.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

Original Publication Citation

Gournelos, T., & Marutschke, D. (2025). Anime and luxury fashion: Studio Ghibli and Loewe’s unorthodox brand merchandizing. The Journal of Anime and Manga Studies, 6(2), 1-42. https://doi.org/10.21900/j.jams.v6.1974

Download

Share

COinS