Playboi Carti Brings Pelle Pelle Back With Opium Collaboration

Playboi Carti expands his portfolio with his introduction to streetwear. The rap star’s Opium label has joined forces with iconic outerwear brand Pelle Pelle for a collaboration that feels both inevitable and timely. The partnership fuses Carti’s experimental aesthetic with Pelle Pelle’s legacy in hip-hop fashion, resulting in a capsule that captures the rebellious spirit of both entities. Available now through Complex Shop, the limited collection represents a natural evolution in Carti’s artistic vision—and a nod to the culture that raised him.

This alliance didn’t emerge from a marketing brainstorm or brand synergy pitch. It began with Carti himself, who began wearing vintage Pelle Pelle jackets earlier this year. That personal nod sparked curiosity across social media, especially as fans remained fixated on his elusive MUSIC album. With every cryptic snippet and leak, Carti’s evolving look—rooted in Detroit’s fashion lineage—became part of the narrative. It was clear he wasn’t just reviving nostalgia. He was shaping it into something new.

Guiding the collaboration is Carti’s creative director, Rose Marie Johansen, known to fans as @sexisdeath. Her vision has been central to Opium’s avant-garde style, and she continues to push the boundaries of what a rap label can look like. For this release, Johansen teamed with Pelle Pelle’s Head of Design, Chris Caruana, to craft pieces that feel archival and futuristic all at once. The jackets draw from Pelle Pelle’s signature silhouettes—sharp tailoring, bold embroidery, and heavy leather—while adding Opium’s shadowy edge. It’s high fashion meets underground noise, stitched with intention and built to last. In an era where collaborations often feel transactional, this one feels like a shared manifesto. Each design speaks to legacy, rebellion, and transformation.

This capsule isn’t a one-off. According to sources close to both camps, more projects between Opium and Pelle Pelle are already in motion. That’s unsurprising, given the creative momentum behind this release and the way fans have responded. Carti has always existed at the intersection of music, fashion, and myth. This collaboration just reinforces that orbit. In a landscape where style and sound constantly blur, Carti and Pelle Pelle offer a blueprint for how nostalgia and innovation can coexist. Their link-up isn’t just about jackets or branding. It’s about crafting an identity—one that looks backward and forward at once, with equal intensity.