The University of Toronto gets a second collaboration with Drake’s brand, October’s Very Own
By: Bana Yirgalem
(Bana Yirgalem/CanCulture)
OVO released its second capsule collection on Oct. 14, in collaboration with the University of Toronto, one of Canada’s most prestigious schools. OVO is a record label and a clothing line founded by Canadian rapper Drake.
The brand's Instagram page announced the second drop featuring rapper Lil Yachty, to showcase some of the collection’s items. Lil Yachty and Drake are good friends, having collaborated on Yachty’s song, Oprah’s Bank Account in 2020. Recently, Yachty has been seen with Drake on his private jet, even sporting a tattoo of an owl.
The use of Yachty for the campaign might be due to the fact his new song, “Poland”, was being teased and that the collaboration between the two artists might bring some buzz for both of them collaborating and according to some of the post’s comments, fans are loving the campaign’s new face.
A variety of items including baseball caps, rugby shirts, varsity jackets and tote bags are included in the limited collection. Through the pieces’ designs, it’s visible that OVO put its own original mark on classic university apparel.
All the pieces have the OVO’s owl mascot and U of T emblems. And the highly popularized vintage varsity letterman jacket features multiple variations of the university’s crest co-branded with the “October’s Very Own” marquees.
The first collection dropped back in August 2021, right before the school year began which allowed students to ring in the new school year dripped in new merch representing their school. Now, just in time for the cold fall season, U of T students can come to campus with school pride while looking fashionable. Fans of OVO can also get the merch because of how aesthetically pleasing it looks for everyday wear.
On the day of the launch, long lineups were expected at OVO stores in the GTA and there was even a long lineup at the U of T’s campus bookstore. The quality of the items was praised in a video on TikTok, nothing that the in-store prices weren’t as bad compared to the school’s bookstore.
However, some fans weren’t as fortunate. Many waited in line outside the bookstore in cold and rainy fall weather just to not be able to get anything from there and admitted in the comments that they had to purchase items on the brand’s official website.
@h6ti the line literally wraps the building and i left early to get here 😭 #uoft #drake ♬ original sound - Beef boss poofsure
And other fans not enrolled in the university of the hour wondered why their universities have yet to have a collab with OVO. This led to numerous calls that they should be doing it for all schools in the GTA, like York University and Toronto Metropolitan University.
This latest drop has people talking which isn’t a surprise because anything relating to Drake will have people and the media talking.
Whether you like Drake or not, you cannot deny that the impact OVO has had on fashion in Canada is quite vast. We’ve seen the iconic owl plenty of times if you're walking down the streets of Toronto, showing the impact of the brand locally. But the brand has also attained global success, collaborating with brands like Canada Goose, NBA, BAPE, Disney and Playboy.
OVO has rebranded streetwear to new heights while adding a twist of other fashion styles which most streetwear brands lack. Canada doesn’t have many streetwear-owned brands that are widely recognized in the country, so OVO is continuously making sure it leaves its mark on fashion in Canada.
The collection will contribute to Drake’s success in fashion because it’ll show people that it’s not just a brand focused on streetwear but can make clothing designed for anyone. Drake branching out to cater to all types of clothing styles shows that he doesn’t limit himself to one aesthetic. My conclusion: the Drake effect is real– whether it be in the music industry or fashion industry, he’ll remain a household name.
(via OVO)