Buffer Brings ‘E.T.’ to Tokyo in a Hand-Drawn Capsule

Illustrators Kazuma Mikami and Tomo Oriyama draw on personal memories of Spielberg’s 1982 classic.

Summary

Tokyo label Buffer has built a capsule collection around Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film E.T.

Three graphic T-shirts anchor the drop, each featuring artwork from illustrators Kazuma Mikami and Tomo Oriyama

A Buffer-original sweatshirt, socks and beanie round out the lineup

Buffer is paying tribute to one of cinema’s most beloved family films with a new E.T. capsule collection, drawing on Steven Spielberg’s 1982 sci-fi classic for a compact run of apparel and accessories. The new release centers on newly commissioned artwork rather than archival film stills, giving the collection a personal, hand-drawn sensibility.

The heart of the capsule is a set of three T-shirts, each printed with original graphics from illustrators Kazuma Mikami and Tomo Oriyama. Rather than working from a straightforward brief, both artists approached the designs as fans, folding their own affection for the film and the memories attached to it into the illustrations they created for the collection.

Beyond the tees, the drop extends into a trio of Buffer’s own pieces, with a sweatshirt, socks and a beanie joining the lineup. Together, the six items cover the full range from layering staples to small accessories, making the capsule easy to buy into at whatever scale suits the wearer.

The film’s pull more than four decades after its release explains why it continues to resonate with designers and illustrators alike. Spielberg’s story of a young boy named Elliott who befriends a stranded alien and helps him return home became one of the defining blockbusters of the 1980s, and Buffer’s approach leans into that sense of nostalgia by letting the artists’ own recollections lead the way.

Buffer’s E.T. capsule collection drops on October 17 at the Buffer Store in Jinnan, Shibuya, and via the label’s online store.