November 15, 2022 |
The idea of the mystery box has been a veritable internet craze for about a half-decade now, breaking big in the beauty industry especially, but its place in fashion has been rather muddy. That’s where Heat comes in. Founded by Joe Wilkinson and Mario Maher, two Sheffield-born lads who love the element of surprise, Heat – with the Heatbox – is the disruptive luxury fashion start-up leading the way in luxury mystery boxes with gusto. It’s an innovative concept, immensely covetable and at this price point is no doubt a thrill too, rife with a discernable level of risk – though with Heat, you have the comfort of knowing that you’re certainly getting bang for your buck. The only, rather trivial, pressure is whether or not you actually like the garments you receive. But we wouldn’t worry about that too much either – Wilkinson and Maher are connoisseurs of curation. You might unpack a good ol’ Arc’teryx windbreaker or an effervescent AGR knit, but you could also cop a Loewe Puzzle bag or a Charles Jeffrey Loverboy beanie. Whatever you unload, it’s bound to be a rare win-win not just for you and your co-consumers, but for designers and brands alike. That’s because while you get your garms, the brands involved are able to monetise unsold inventory via desirable and buzzy box drops, ergo shifting surplus stock from previous seasons via a sustainable method and simultaneously letting you get your hands on out-of-store garms.
So how does it work? First, you’ll want your notifications turned on when drop day rolls around as Heat’s highly-coveted monthly releases tend to sell-out within a mere matter of minutes (Heat has over 700,000 subscribers). Then, you buy a box of a certain tier (Streetwear, Contemporary, and Superbrand in the latest drop’s case), select the appropriate sizing, click purchase and wait the 1-3 dispatch days until your goodies appear on your doorstep – like magic! Starting at just £299, the Streetwear Box is made up of just what it says, loads of the best streetwear in town. It’s got a guaranteed value of at least £500 spread across the two to three items inside so you’re getting your money’s worth. Meanwhile, the Contemporary Box, which was launched in September, moves past its streetwear origins, extending its curated network of designer brands to include cult fashion favourites like Glenn Martens’ Y/Project, Rick Owens, Coperni or Ottolinger. Beyond that, the new Superbrand Box is the pinnacle of luxury fashion packaged in a slick black box and tied up with a bow – a metaphorical bow that is – and it debuts today. Featuring the crème de la crème of high fashion, bringing the Superbrand Box into the fold comes after Heat, at a gratifying juncture, received investments from LVMH Luxury Ventures, the Hermès family, venture capital firm Antler and the OTB Group earlier this year. The clobber inside is classed at a higher price point for one thing, but this increase is totally reflected in what’s inside. Teeming with the most premium leather goods and sought-after handbags up for grabs, as well as cashmere creations and couture-level craftsmanship, it’s a lofty lucky-dip. Some Heat luxury mystery boxes are even packed drastically over value and can include rare and soon-to-be-released products, revolutionising the digital shopping experience.
The roster of brands on offer is far-reaching. Labels like Maison Margiela, Acne Studios, Raf Simons, JW Anderson, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Off-White and Saint Laurent are among those to be had. Our Legacy, Palm Angels, A-Cold-Wall, Aries, Elliss, Eytys and 032c are mixed into the material melting pot too, referring back to Heat’s origins in streetwear and menswear especially. Overflowing with the hottest items on the trend conveyor belt and the timeless classics too, all while operating under a season-less approach, Heat has sold 30,000 boxes to date.
The Heatbox is like Pandora’s box if the contents were fabulous clothes. What it has managed to do is bring the concept of this grab-bag internet phenomena to a young, fashion-fluent audience looking to experiment with style in an elevated way. With the unique combination of drop culture, covetable designer items and unique archive pieces it is a winning formula. For now, it’s on to the next box; the next drop; the next luxury lucky-dip.
Photography by Jesse Crankson. Shop the new Superbrand Box at 8pm this evening at heat.io.
