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Malaysian brand Pestle & Mortar’s Looney Tunes collection brings back much-needed childhood nostalgia amid Covid-19 crisis


The 18-piece collection pays homage to Bugs Bunny and his friends. — Picture courtesy of Pestle & Mortar Clothing
The 18-piece collection pays homage to Bugs Bunny and his friends. — Picture courtesy of Pestle & Mortar Clothing

PETALING JAYA, Oct 23 — Homegrown streetwear brand Pestle & Mortar Clothing has teamed up with Looney Tunes for a collection that will have you yearning for those carefree childhood days in front of the telly.

The brand says it’s their biggest international collaboration yet and hopes the playful collection will put a smile on people’s faces in a time of crisis.

The Warner Bros cartoon franchise collaboration pays homage to Bugs Bunny and his friends such as Daffy Duck, Lola Bunny, Marvin the Martian and Pepe Le Pew that many Malaysians grew up watching.

Driven by nostalgia and vintage, the 18-piece collection features T-shirts (RM129), bowling shirts (RM199), jackets (RM329), a hoodie (RM219), headwear (from RM129), a tote bag (RM99) and a face mask (RM59) to reflect the Covid-19 situation.

And nostalgia seems to be fit in perfectly as Pestle & Mortar Clothing marks its 10th year in business while Bugs Bunny turned 80 in July this year.

Malaysia meets Hollywood: Pestle & Mortar began discussing the collaboration with Warner Bros. last year. — Picture courtesy of Pestle & Mortar Clothing
Malaysia meets Hollywood: Pestle & Mortar began discussing the collaboration with Warner Bros. last year. — Picture courtesy of Pestle & Mortar Clothing

“As a brand, we look up to bigger international brands and as a Malaysian brand, it’s a small step to putting Malaysia on the map by partnering with a global brand such as Warner Bros,” Pestle & Mortar Clothing lead creative Jack Gan said.

In an example of Malaysia meets Hollywood, the Looney Tunes Vacation Tee captures the excitement of seeing Malaysian landmarks such as Batu Caves, the Kuala Lumpur skyline and the country’s beautiful beaches through the eyes of the beloved characters in Polaroid shots.

Pestle & Mortar Clothing co-founder and chief vision officer Hugh Koh said working on a collection such as this one brought back a lot of childhood memories.

“To me personally, Looney Tunes has played a big role in my childhood.

“I remember waking up early and tuning into national TV every Saturday morning to watch different stories of the characters that I love,” Koh said during the collection’s virtual launch on Wednesday.

Batu Caves, the Kuala Lumpur skyline and Malaysia’s beautiful beaches make an appearance on The Looney Tunes Vacation Tee (RM129). — Pictures courtesy of Pestle & Mortar Clothing
Batu Caves, the Kuala Lumpur skyline and Malaysia’s beautiful beaches make an appearance on The Looney Tunes Vacation Tee (RM129). — Pictures courtesy of Pestle & Mortar Clothing

Koh and his team started talking to Warner Brothers a year ago — the collection was supposed to be launched in stores early August but the brand opted for a virtual launch in the end.

The brand, which previously rolled out collections with KFC and Ultraman, said a lot of its partnerships came about through contacts, friends or people reaching out to them through the website asking if they want to work together.

“When that email came in from Warner Brothers, we were like ‘Wow’.

“It won us right away because it really touches on that nostalgia element that Pestle & Mortar Clothing always wants to focus on,” Koh told Malay Mail.

Asked what it was like to launch a collection during Covid-19, Koh said the pandemic has fast-tracked the brand into the online space.

Moving forward, Pestle & Mortar Clothing will be focusing on its e-commerce space but said its physical stores still played a vital part for its streetwear brand identity.

“Online was always in the cards, it was something that we wanted to build and something that we still need to learn more of and we are constantly working on that.

“When it comes to streetwear, one of the main keywords is community — nothing beats having that person beside you to really see and feel their emotion,” Koh said.

The Pestle & Mortar Clothing x Looney Tunes collection will be available for purchase starting today at pestlemortarclothing.com and at Major Drop Sunway Pyramid.

The collection will also be available for purchase at select stockists; Swaganz Ipoh, Local Lab Penang, Topman Pavilion, Topman Sunway Pyramid, Topman Mid Valley, and Hundred% Lot 10.



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