Alice + Olivia x Coca-Cola Collection Celebrates the Soda’s 140th Anniversary

If you ask Stacey Bendet, chief executive officer, founder and creative director of Alice + Olivia, “Things go better with Coke.”

So it’s fitting that Alice + Olivia has launched an exclusive collaboration with Coca-Cola celebrating the iconic American beverage brand’s 140th anniversary. The collection captures the energy and timeless appeal of Coca-Cola while embracing the colorful, whimsical aesthetic that is synonymous with Alice + Olivia.

The 21-piece capsule includes 14 ready-to-wear styles, three accessories and four Stace Face Coca-Cola designs, with prices ranging from $250 to $2,995.

“It’s the real thing.…I am so excited to collaborate with Coca-Cola, a true American heritage brand that has created some of the most iconic branding and campaigns of all time. I’ve always loved their products, their imagery and the sense of nostalgia and happiness they evoke. As a founder, I have such an appreciation for the incredible empire they’ve built and how they’ve continued to reinvent themselves while staying true to who they are. Bringing that iconic Coca-Cola spirit into the colorful, expressive world of Alice + Oivia has been so much fun,” Bendet said.

Among the standout styles are a statement leather varsity jacket, baggy jeans, baby T-shirts featuring vintage-inspired Coca-Cola graphics, Alice + Olivia’s Willa blouse with Coca-Cola motifs and a collectible tote bag.

Jamie Ludwick, vice president, global licensing at Coca-Cola, explained why they decided to partner with Alice + Olivia on this capsule. “Alice + Olivia is a fantastic brand. Stacey has such a strong creative vision, and this was a really exciting opportunity for Coca-Cola to really enter the women’s fashion contemporary space in a more meaningful way. It’s a very interesting way to intersect two brands to really have a unique, fresh take,” she said.

The two companies started working on the collaboration about a year ago.

Over the years, Coca-Cola has done collaborations with such companies as Adidas, Converse, Kith, Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana.

Discussing how these collaborations benefit the Coca-Cola brand, Ludwick said, “It really helps stretch the brand and move us into new spaces and reach additional consumers, along with really connecting with our consumers and brand fans in new and more tangible ways and new channels,” she said. She noted that collaborations like this can be meaningful from a commercial standpoint. “We want them to resonate with consumers. Obviously, we want them to sell. At the same time, they certainly build brand value and they help extend our brand and ensure we’re part of the cultural conversation.”

When they work with a brand like Alice + Olivia, they allow the fashion company to take the lead. “Of course, we are brand stewards at Coca-Cola to ensure that we’re reflecting the brand and the authenticity of our brand, but the reason for partnership with a designer like Alice + Olivia, like Stacey, is to really allow them to take the creative lead and to interpret our brand, our rich visual identity in new and fresh ways.”

She noted that a pair of jeans was inspired from an iconic image from the Coca-Cola archives. It’s an early 1900s black-and-white image of workers in one of their bottling plants wearing coveralls, that were actually made from advertising panels. Alice + Olivia interpreted this image and created these incredible fashion-forward wide-leg denim pants.

Asked who she sees as the customer for this capsule, Ludwick said it’s a broad customer. There’s Gen Z and the Millennial female consumer. “We at Coca-Cola have a really broad base of consumers, a broad and diverse base of consumers, so I think what is fantastic here is that while the collection certainly reaches that Millennial, Gen Z customer, it stretches beyond that. Because you’ve got everything from a T-shirt to a leather jacket to a ballgown skirt,” she said.

The collection is available both in U.S. and U.K. Alice + Olivia boutiques, online at aliceandolivia.com and through select wholesale partners such Saks, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Shopbop and Revolve, and Coke stores as well. There are four Coke stores and cokestore.com.

Asked what she expects will be bestsellers, she thinks the beaded minidress, some of the embellished pieces, “and there are some incredible patched cardigans and leather jackets.”

Bendet told WWD that she has really enjoyed collaborating with American heritage brands, such as a recent collaboration with Bronco. She said when they were discussing iconic American brands, the idea of Coca-Cola came up. “When I was growing up I remember my dad lying in bed and having a liter of Coke next to the bed. And I always loved Coca-Cola’s marketing and their campaigns, and their overall branding.” She said it was fun collateral to play with.

To mark the occasion Alice + Olivia will transform The Little Shop, a hidden New York City bodega and speakeasy at 252 Front Street, into an immersive Alice + Olivia x Coca-Cola world. The playful takeover will debut with a private event on Thursday, followed by a public opening from Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Asked who she thinks the customer for this is, Bendet said, “I think it’s everyone who drank Coca-Cola as a kid.” She said they made these T-shirts that say, “Diet Coke Social Club,” which she thinks the kids today will love. She said everyone who grew up with Coca-Cola as part of their childhood will love it.

Bendet said her favorite piece is the ballgown skirt, which she wore for the photo shoot. It is covered in sequins and beading. She also loves the Diet Coke Social T-shirt and the Stace Face pieces.

The Alice + Olivia x Coca Cola collection will be accompanied by an ad campaign photographed by Ellen von Unwerth. It was shot at a retro diner, and they brought in retro Coca-Cola dispensers, fridges, signage and glass bottles.

“Fashion is a powerful way for Coca-Cola to connect with consumers by celebrating culture, creativity and individuality,” said Bea Perez, executive vice president and global chief communications, sustainability and strategic partnerships officer at The Coca-Cola Co. “Our partnership with Alice + Olivia unites two iconic brands that share a deep passion for self-expression, optimism and joy. This collection invites people around the world to embrace their personal style and make a bold statement of possibility and creativity.”