Trend Spotter: Glow-in-the-Dark Prints

The look is featured in a new collab between HyperX and Champion.

By Christopher Ruvo |  asicentral.com

The brand, which specializes in making gamer gear like headsets, keyboards, console accessories and more, has teamed up with clothing brand Champion to release a limited-edition apparel drop in which the prints glow in the dark.

Aptly called “HyperX x Champion Glow in the Dark,” the capsule collection features Champion’s PowerBlend fleece hoodies, PowerBlend fleece joggers and cotton T-shirts.

Geared particularly to HyperX’s gaming community audience, the merch displays HyperX and Champion branding, some of which is accented by glow-in-the-dark prints/embroidery. Decoration locations include the left chest and sleeve on the T-shirts, the thigh on the joggers, and the center-chest on the hoodie.

The HyperX x Champion Glow in the Dark Collection will be available for purchase on July 14 on Champion.com. It’s the third season merch collaboration between HyperX and Champion.

“The success of the last two HyperX x Champion collections underscores that gaming fans crave trendy, comfortable apparel that displays their passion for gaming and style,” said Stephanie Winkler, strategic marketing manager, HyperX.

Winkler continued: “With this season-three HyperX and Champion collab, we jointly created a capsule that proudly showcases fans’ love for iconic streetwear while tastefully alluding to their gaming roots. Gamers can hit the lights and yet still radiate on-screen with our limited-edition Glow in the Dark Collection.”

End-Buyers to Target

As Winkler alludes to, the glow-in-the-dark prints could have particular appeal with gaming audiences and gaming influencers, something promotional products distributors should consider when pursuing business in this bustling market. Newzoo, a firm that specializes in analytics and market research on the gaming and e-sports markets, forecasts that the games market will reach $175.8 billion in revenue globally this year, rising to more than $200 billion in 2023.

Still, gaming isn’t the only niche where such prints can work. They can hold potential appeal for an array of players within the broader technology market, from app developers and various start-ups, to organizations that specialize in robotics.

Prospects in the entertainment industry could also be keen, with creators of electronic dance music and venues and festival organizers that work within the genre potential buyers. More broadly, brands and influencers across industries that want to convey a youthful, “cyber” aesthetic to audiences can do so by wedding the look with fashion-forward streetwear styles, as HyperX and Champion did.

“As an innovator in activewear design, Champion Athleticwear is excited to participate in yet another cutting-edge collaboration with HyperX,” said Jeff Johansen, head of marketing at Champion Teamwear. “The brand is proud to support gamers with distinctive, limited-edition items that continue to push the boundaries on design and decoration.”

Decoration Insights

Broken Arrow T-Shirt Printing and Embroidery (asi/146656), a Des Moines-based decorator, explains here that creating glow-in-the-dark prints is a two-part process.

“Once that layer is flashed (meaning dried), a special ink is applied that will produce a high intensity glow-in-the-dark effect. You can apply glow over the entire white base or even just use it in highlight spots on your design to create a really custom look.” If done correctly, the print should outlast the life of the shirt.

Superior Threads, a provider of embroidery threads and more, reports that high-quality glow-in-the-dark threads are often made from a synthetic polymer, such as polyester.

To get the best glowing effect from such stitching, Superior Threads suggests that “a dense fill stitch or multiple outline stitches be sewn where the glowing effect is wanted. A single meandering stitch won’t be as obvious because the area it covers is small compared to a dense fill stitch. You will see a much bolder glow if you can place more thread in a smaller area.”