I thought I’d seen it all when I covered the partnership between Chipotle and Beis Luggage. Turns out, surprising mashups exist in just about every travel sector.
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Enter Amtrak’s debut Trak Suit line, which debuted just before New York Fashion Week. The first New York Fashion Week of the year closes today, having run from February 2-16. It included lines from major fashion houses like Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren, along with up-and-coming designers of all stripes.
One of those up-and-comers is Anastasiia Lukinskaia of the New York School of Design. She didn’t release a full line with its own runway. Instead, she partnered with Amtrak to release a set of Amtrak-inspired track suits—fittingly dubbed ‘Trak Suits’.
Here’s what you need to know about Amtrak’s latest foray into fashion.
Inside the ‘Trak Suit’ concept
Amtrak released a limited number of track suits designed by Lukinskaia from January 29 to February 2. While it might sound a little random, it fits perfectly with Amtrak’s overall mission: To get you from Point A to Point B in style. Comfortable style.
After all, it’s entirely acceptable, and even recommended, to wear matching sets on long-haul flights. Why not do the same for a seven-hour or more train ride on an Amtrak route?
The track suits are made from microfiber fleece in a color palette that closely matches both Amtrak and its new Acela-brand trains. There’s also a sleep mask built into the hood—perfect for long hours sleeping in a wide train seat.
The release was also designed to spark interest in Amtrak as it prepares to launch more NextGen Acela trains. Amtrak’s VP of digital and brand management, Jessica Davidson, says, “With ‘Trak Suits, our goal was to meet the moment for the launch of NextGen Acela with a breakthrough collaboration that was authentic to Amtrak and conveyed the premium and modern style of our new trainsets.”
According to Davidson, the decision to partner with a younger student of the New York School of Design was based on the desire to hit the mark with younger travelers.
Unfortunately, the Trak Suit was only available for a short window before NYFW kicked off. (Sales ended on February 2nd.) For now, it’s unclear whether Amtrak will re-open the release in the future or partner with another designer to create a new line.