Lexus has teamed up with Tokyo design house AMBUSH to launch The Future Classic Club , a joint project pairing a short film with a limited-edition apparel collection. The initiative marks 25 years since the Lexus IS first arrived for the 2001 model year.
The idea behind the Club is straightforward: celebrate things built to last, rather than chase whatever trend is loudest this week. Lexus frames the IS as an example of that staying power, pointing to its role in giving the brand a younger, more individual identity when it launched.
A Film Set in Two Eras of Tokyo
The centrepiece is a film directed by Xavier Tera, tracing the IS’s influence across two versions of Tokyo. It opens in an early-2000s setting inspired by the period the original sedan launched into, then shifts to a present-day Tokyo where the car’s design language still shows up.
Three people are featured as “Club members” whose work reflects the same idea of building something enduring, though specific names and roles have not been detailed publicly.
What’s in the Capsule Collection
Designed under AMBUSH co-founder Yoon Ahn, the apparel and hardware collection reinterprets details from the IS through AMBUSH’s own visual style. Expect industrial-style hardware, structured fabrics, graphic elements and simple silhouettes drawn from the car’s shape and materials.
Ahn said the team looked at the IS’s details, materials and character and translated them into pieces meant to be worn and kept, rather than treated as throwaway merchandise. Collection available from ambushdesign.com starting September 18, 2026. Release time: midnight EDT / 1pm JST. Quantities described as ultra-limited.
Beyond the Product Drop
Lexus and AMBUSH plan to keep the Club going as an ongoing platform rather than a one-off release. The brands are inviting designers and creators to share work under the hashtag #FutureClassicClub, with further events planned.
The first of those is an event tied to New York Fashion Week, run with PAPER, offering an early look at the collection alongside a mix of guests from fashion, music and the arts.
For a brand often associated with hybrid drivetrains and dealership showrooms, the collaboration is a clear step into cultural marketing territory. Whether it shifts perceptions of the IS itself remains to be seen, but it does show Lexus leaning into design heritage as a talking point, rather than just specs and trim levels.
