The Lab x Bully Boy transformed a Cape Town laundromat into a celebration of apparel, culture, and care for their new collaboration
Cape Town’s creative community gathered at Joe Soap Laundromat for an intimate launch event marking the collaboration between independent fashion label Bully Boy and biotech fashion care brand The Lab.
Set inside the unexpected backdrop of a working laundromat, the evening introduced the limited-edition Bully Boy x The Lab collection, including a collaborative T-shirt, socks, and custom Apparel Refresh spray.
Where Street Meets Science
Bully Boy has spent the last few years building a cult following through skate culture, guerrilla marketing and a refusal to make predictable streetwear. The brand grew out of DIY graphics, grip tape and late-night poster runs across Cape Town. The Lab comes from a different discipline, but with a similar mentality.
Long before fashion care became part of the sustainability conversation, the brand was building biotechnology-powered products designed to help people keep their clothes, sneakers and accessories in rotation longer. Put the two together, and the collaboration feels inevitable.
Both brands exist to protect something. For Bully Boy, it’s the culture around the apparel, and for The Lab it’s the garments that absorb and create the culture along the way. “This partnership felt incredibly natural,” says Jo Farah, Founder and CEO of The Lab. “Bully Boy has always had a raw, uncompromising energy. They make clothes with character and at The Lab, we’re obsessed with helping pieces like that last. We believe care is part of the creative process. It’s how you protect the stories your clothes carry.”
The Art of Keeping Clothes in Rotation
Joe Soap Laundromat wasn’t your typical venue for a collaboration drop, but that was exactly the point. A curated guest list of local creatives, media, and tastemakers gathered for an evening soundtracked by a live DJ set with opportunities to discover The Lab and Bully Boy. The laundromat came alive through vibrant red lighting flowing through the venue, the Bully Boy car and an old school American Truck spraypainted to talk towards the guerilla marketing approach. For one night, the space shifted from somewhere people cleaned their clothes to somewhere people celebrated them.
The venue came alive with people queuing outside before the event started, to ensure they got their hands on the limited edition T-shirts. Only 50 were made available for the public and it was a first come, first served approach.
At the centre of the collaboration was the limited-edition Bully Boy x The Lab Apparel Refresh, a biotechnology-powered spray designed for the pieces that get worn on repeat. The formula neutralises odour and refreshes garments between washes, without relying on harsh chemicals or overwashing. It’s a collaboration that explores the relationship between clothing and culture, and what it means to keep your most-loved pieces in rotation instead of throwing them out.
