Mortal Kombat 1 x MJB: An Ode to London

Dropping today, luxury menswear brand MJB has released a collaborative collection with Mortal Kombat. Now, for both MJB and Mortal Kombat fans this might not sound like news as this is the fourth time that the British born and raised brand has collaborated with the iconic video game franchise. With this collaborative collection however, founder and proud Londoner Marc Jacques Burton wanted to highlight his roots and love of the city. This intentionality is felt with every aspect of the campaign, starting with the talent. Actor Hope Ikpoku Jnr and artist FelixThe1st are the faces for the campaign, further emphasising the London feeling. 

From the inception of the brand Burton has cited musicians as his biggest inspirations, and this authentic love of music has translated to artists all over the world being fans of the brand. Davido, Krept and Konan, Drake, P!nk and Mick Jagger are just a few that have been spotted in his pieces.

This commitment to authenticity and love of creating can be seen with this collection too. Mortal Kombat 1 was first released in 1992, and is now the most successful fighter videogame of all time with the 12th instalment from the franchise being released globally on 19th September. As a genuine fan of the game, for Burton, this is a dream come true. 

“I feel it’s really important that as we become adults that we all have dreams within us, and that if we try and kind of live some of those dreams, we might have all of them. But one of them was I’ve always wanted to get involved in films, video games, I didn’t know how. But there’s a kind of inner child and a kid within me that really enjoys this aspect of well. now, I’m actually working with the Mortal Kombat game that I usually play, crazy. It’s kind of full circle.” 

It is this connection with musicians that feed into his creative process; splitting the designs into two core categories: stage and studio. “Stage” pieces are the items that are made for concerts and shows where artists want to be seen and express their view of the world. “Studio” on the other hand are for the times when artists need comfort and practicality to be at the forefront of the design. When they’re working in the studio, having down time connecting with friends or travelling around the world.

These two core design pillars have flowed into this collection too, with pieces with the loud print of the denim jacket and stacked trousers exuding confidence and stage presence. The balaclava hoodies are more relaxed and suitable for behind the scenes. However, practicality can still be fun, as Burton added the Sub Zero and Scorpion character mask prints to the balaclava.

This consideration for musicians’ realistic needs and lifestyles, does not end in the design process. Burton also gains inspiration from musicians’ unique view of the world, what they’re communicating through their music and how they live. This is why choosing Boston based high end luxury retailer Riccardi as the location for the pop up makes perfect sense. At first thought it may seem to be a random choice with New York and LA being core American cities for fashion, but in fact Boston is a music and cultural hub. During our sit down, Burton explained the decision. “It’s really interesting with the music world, all the biggest music concerts in America start in Boston, and a lot of bands rehearse in Boston. So it means that a lot of the people you’ve seen wearing MJB they’ve often bought out of Riccardi, Boston, so people like Drake, Lil Baby, 2 Chainz they all just go and shop there…​​also a lot of British talent like Central Cee, he’s been through there, he recently did a concert and then a show. And we’ve just got really great relationships with Riccardi. Boston, it really influences some of our biggest celebrities. They’ve got two big sports teams as well, the Celtics, and the MBL team; the Red Sox. And so there’s a lot of athletes there too. It’s actually probably as influential as LA and New York for Fashion”.

Ultimately fashion is about storytelling, so gamer or not (and I’m definitely not) you can feel the love and passion for the game. Plus, in this busy world and with our busy lives, something that sparks nostalgia and allows us time to pause and spend time with friends should definitely be celebrated with intentionally designed, high quality clothes.

The collection is available to shop now at www.mjb.store

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