Harry Styles’s Pleasing Ups the Celebrity Merch Game

Having until now primarily focused on genderless nail polishes and perfumes alongside two smaller loungewear capsules, the label has launched this resort collection as its first true foray into fashion.

Echoing the US National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Brooklyn Nets by sitting somewhere between branded merchandise and accessible, entry-level luxury (read The Brief), Pleasing’s collection sits at a higher price point than regular merch offerings. Hoodies on Harry Styles’s merch store are priced between $50 and $70, while Pleasing’s most expensive item is a zip-up jacket that goes for $275, putting the label in an aspirational mid-market space without making it feel too far removed from the star’s previous apparel releases.

The pieces included in this inaugural collection are reminiscent of the way Styles dresses himself, specifically evoking many of his past collaborations with Gucci under its former creative director Alessandro Michele. This ensures that Pleasing’s collection feels authentic to both Styles and his fanbase. As luxury fashion’s pop-culture obsession continues to grow, and elevated merch pieces become in-demand status symbols, young fans’ appetite to emulate their idols’ wardrobes can’t be understated – particularly when it comes to concertgoers.

For celebrities with recognisable (and covetable) personal styles as well as devoted fanbases, fashion segues of this nature are a smart move. For many fans, these celebrity-backed brands act as gateways to luxury, meaning there’s ample opportunity for collaboration – with true luxury brands that feel aspirational to these consumers, or even with artists and creatives they regard as their peers.