Dodgers' collab with KAWS will put acclaimed artist's unique 'XX' spin on jerseys, trading cards, more

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Set us as preferred Buoyed by the success of last year’s MLB Tokyo Series merch collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, the Dodgers are venturing further into partnerships with cutting-edge artists.Fans whose eyes are solely focused on the diamond might be unfamiliar with KAWS, aka Brian Donnelly, a Brooklyn-based artist and designer whose signature creation is Companion, an art toy and sculpture that resembles an eerie Mickey Mouse with a skull head and “X” marks for eyes.How that sensibility meshes with Major League Baseball will be evident when the KAWS x MLB collection is released ahead of the Dodgers visiting the New York Yankees for a three-game series July 17-19.

The release was announced by Fanatics and Complex, which will market and distribute the collection.KAWS’ interpretation of official team gear will reside on Nike-produced jerseys, T-shirts, hoodies and caps.Count on the ubiquitous “XX” that typically stand in for eyeballs on the Companion character and the artist’s other dark cartoonish creations.The collection also will include baseballs, bats and a limited run of Topps trading cards that promise to feature KAWS’ interpretation of Dodgers and Yankees iconography.

“Timed to one of baseball’s most storied rivalries, the collection brings KAWS’ distinctive visual language to the diamond,” said Aaron Levant, chief executive of Complex.“The result is a crossover moment at the intersection of sport, art, and pop culture, where legacy franchises are reframed through one of the most influential artists of this generation.” Sports The overwhelming popularity of artist Takashi Murakami’s MLB Tokyo Series merchandise has fueled another round of colorful and joyful Dodgers gear.KAWS’ body of work spans more than 25 years and includes painting, sculpture and design that stradd...