Bobby Hundreds on Working at Disney and New Formula 1 Collab Reveal
The streetwear legend led the creative team at Disney Consumer Products to kick off the exciting partnership.
Disney and Formula 1, two titans of their respective spaces, united at last. The dynamic duo announced a new partnership earlier this year and are finally set to debut what they’ve been cooking up. Not only will Mickey & Friends make an appearance at this month’s Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, but the pairing’s first apparel collection is here as well.
Nearly half a year after announcing his new gig as vice president of creative for the Americas at Disney Consumer Products, Bobby Kim, aka Bobby Hundreds, has led the creative team in designing the debut Disney x Formula 1 collection. We caught up with the streetwear legend to discuss the 25-piece collection, his role at Disney, the power of collaboration, and more.
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When you announced your move to Disney, the response from your community was overwhelmingly positive. What did that moment mean to you?
For those who have followed my work for the past two decades, they’ll recognize this as a very logical progression in the timeline. The Walt Disney Company and Walt’s work have always influenced what I do. The way Walt tied experience to products, entertainment, and storytelling is something that has inspired both me and many other creatives from my generation and beyond. For example, the Adam Bomb was essentially my version of Mickey Mouse. After all, he’s red, black, white, and yellow for a reason. So, to end up at Disney is the most logical outcome.
“The Adam Bomb was essentially my version of Mickey Mouse. After all, he’s red, black, white, and yellow for a reason.”
This isn’t your first time working with Disney’s IP. The Hundreds collaborated with Disney back in 2008. Do you remember what it was like working on that? How does your creative approach differ now that you’re inside the company rather than collaborating from the outside?
Disney came to us back then because we were parodying Disney IP so much. We were a renegade startup brand that didn’t think anyone was looking our way. Despite thinking we had a very niche audience, we ended up on Disney’s radar, and they came to us asking, “Why don’t we do this officially? There’s a formal process of doing this. It’s called licensing.” I’d never heard of it before.
Nowadays, licensing with Disney comes from a mutual love for one of Disney’s IPs or another emotional touchpoint. Passion guides us through each campaign, which results in everything coming from a creative place. I’m not a fan of slapping logos together. You can’t do that with Disney because its IP is so loaded with meaning and history that, as soon as you start working with us, it carries a lot of connotations. There’s so much lore and worldbuilding that has gone into this entertainment property. So, by default, collaborations are intrinsically intense. They’re both meaningful and emotional for both the people working on them and the people wearing the clothes.
“Unless there’s a thoughtful narrative, you won’t see much mileage out of a project.”
The Hundreds has always thrived at the intersection of culture, community, and storytelling. How are you bringing that mindset into your work with Disney?
I’m a storyteller at heart, so everything begins with a story. I write narratives, whether I write them down in poetry and prose, in words on a page, or through design. We all tell stories to make sense of the world; I happen to do it to make sense of collaborations and projects.
Even if a partner or artist comes to us with a great idea, that in itself is never quite enough; it may look visually appealing, but unless there’s a thoughtful narrative, you won’t see much mileage out of the project. We’re trying to build timeless stories that transcend the moment. Disney, to me, is the master of collaboration, because they aren’t just convergences to create products. Collaborations are partnerships between creatives that come together to write scripts, between animators. I’m here in New York with the Marvel team, sitting with 30 people from my creative team who are collaborating on ideas. True art is born of this type of organic collaboration, which is why the brand and its legacy have endured for over 100 years at this point, with hundreds more to come.
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Disney is debuting its F1 partnership at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. What are you most looking forward to seeing unfold that weekend?
It’s so exciting to see both of these powerhouses colliding in a moment. And for it to be in Las Vegas, of all places, with Mickey Mouse performing in front of the Bellagio fountain. It’s a spectacle. If anyone knows how to put on a show, it’s Disney and it’s F1.
This partnership between Disney and F1 is a significant cultural crossover. How do you see it resonating with fans of the two?
It was important to acknowledge both of our deep histories and the texture of the past. There’s so much legacy carried through the F1 brand. You’re talking about generations of fandom. As a result, there are annals of art, vintage posters, and the evolution of race suits. Even the patchwork, there’s so much design language to revisit through the generations. You combine that with Disney, with over a century’s worth of art and storytelling, and it’s important to reflect on the rich past of both parties. We have to recognize and tip our hat to what has come before.
What’s just as important, if not more important, is to look forward. F1 and Disney, although heritage brands, are both very progressive. They’re on the cultural frontlines, always forward-looking. Striking a balance between these two is crucial. We have to create products that aren’t yesterday, but not necessarily only tomorrow.
What’s your favorite part of the collection?
One thing we challenged ourselves to avoid is making the product feel too character-forward. F1 is an elite sport and a sophisticated, premium brand. If this were just about character art, with a bunch of Mickey Mouse cartoons or a youthful appearance, it could come across as juvenile. This approach would miss the mark on audience and market fit. Instead, we leaned into F1’s design language, amping it up with the personality and warmth of Disney. You’ll see F1’s unique checkerboard pattern incorporated across a silhouette of Mickey Mouse’s head, as opposed to something like a full color face. Mickey is a universally beloved brand that you can distill down into the sleekest of icons. You can see it in the iconography; it doesn’t have to be a full-bodied, colored character, so there’s not as much of that in our partnership. Of course, Mickey is there because he’s a signature of Disney design and art, but what we emphasized is F1 and race culture.
“If this were just about character art, with a bunch of Mickey Mouse cartoons or a youthful appearance, it could come across as juvenile.”
As a member of the Disney team, do you have any specific goals you hope to achieve?
Disney is a massive corporation and brand. Anyone who knows the type of work that I do knows I’m very community-minded. I want to be personable and accessible, but there’s a balance now. I ask myself, “How can I come into this company and put a fingerprint on its timeline?” This historical legacy that spans generations, here long before I got there, and here long after I’m gone. Hopefully, you’ll see design that is coming from an authentic, human place, with a very personal narrative attached to the work we do.
Is there any specific Disney franchise that you would like to work with eventually?
I love the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. As fans from the OG days of The Hundreds remember, that was my first big licensed collaboration. So, I would love to revisit The Lost Boys and see it from this side of Disney.
Fans can look forward to shopping select product online tomorrow, November 8, via DisneyStore in North America. The full collection will also be available in-person at the F1® Las Vegas Hub Presented by American Express inside the Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
