The creative friendship that became a collectible drop: Billie Eilish x Takashi Murakami
Some collaborations exist because a brand needs content. Others exist because two creative forces found each other and built something neither could have made alone. The Billie Eilish x Takashi Murakami collaboration belongs firmly in the second category. It started on Instagram, grew into an anime music video with tens of millions of views, and eventually produced one of the most talked-about streetwear drops of 2020. At Rare Inventory, we carry pieces from two distinct moments in that creative relationship. This guide covers everything you need to know before you buy.
How it started: Instagram, anime, and a music video
Eilish and Murakami became friends after messaging each other on Instagram. That friendship led directly to their first creative project together: the music video for Eilish’s song “You Should See Me in a Crown,” which Murakami animated in his own distinctive style.
The full-length animated video brings Billie Eilish’s ideas to life through Murakami’s unique visual sensibility and has accumulated an extraordinary number of views on streaming platforms. For Murakami, this marked a significant moment. He had previously directed animated work for major music artists, but the Eilish collaboration introduced his aesthetic to an entirely new generation of fans. As a result, the connection between the two felt entirely organic, rooted in shared creative instincts rather than commercial calculation.
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Chapter 1 – SS19: the direct collaboration (2019)
Before Uniqlo entered the picture, Eilish and Murakami produced something more raw and direct. The Blohsh Melted T-Shirt comes from this first chapter of their relationship, the SS19 season, a full year before the Uniqlo UT drop.
This piece carries a different energy from everything that came after. There’s no retail framework around it, no mass-market distribution, and no Uniqlo branding. Instead, it’s a direct expression of what these two artists built together at the beginning: Eilish’s Blohsh symbol reimagined by Murakami in a bold melted green design that captures the rebellious, expressive quality that defines both creators at their most unfiltered.
Takashi Murakami x Billie Eilish – Blohsh Melted T-Shirt (Black)
Black base, green melted Blohsh, SS19 label. Size M. This is the most collectible piece in the entire lineup, the one that existed before the collaboration became a global retail event. Finding it in unworn condition through a verified source is genuinely difficult today.
Chapter 2 – The Uniqlo UT drop (2020)
The UT collection showcases the artistic perspectives of both creators through graphics combining their styles, designed exclusively for Uniqlo. The key visual features a branding logo that combines Billie Eilish’s Blohsh symbol with Takashi Murakami’s iconic flower, a visual shorthand for the entire collaboration.
The capsule includes graphics that mix Billie Eilish’s Blohsh with the iconic Murakami flowers, a collage of Eilish’s photos, a sketch taken from her music video, and a UT-original Billie Eilish logo. Furthermore, to commemorate the release, Murakami created a giant three-meter-tall Billie Eilish statue for display at the Uniqlo Harajuku store. The high level of craft across every item made them desirable even for people unfamiliar with either artist, truly wearable art.
The Uniqlo UT drop happened in May 2020 and never repeated. At Rare Inventory, we carry five pieces from this drop:
Billie Eilish x Takashi Murakami UT Graphic T-Shirt (White)
The white base gives this tee the most versatile colorway in the UT collection. Murakami’s smiling flower motif sits alongside Billie Eilish branding in a composition that feels immediately familiar to anyone who knows either artist’s visual language. Size M.
Billie Eilish x Takashi Murakami Flower Logo UT T-Shirt (Black)
The black version leads with the Flower Logo graphic, a metallic-style Billie Eilish logo surrounded by Murakami’s signature flowers. The contrast between the dark base and the vibrant graphic gives this piece the strongest visual impact of the UT tees. Size L.
Billie Eilish x Takashi Murakami Outline Character UT T-Shirt (Neon Yellow)
The most graphic-forward piece in the UT line. A clean outline illustration of Billie Eilish sits against a neon yellow base, bold, immediate, and impossible to miss. The minimalism of the illustration contrasts deliberately with the energy of the colorway. Size M.
Billie Eilish x Takashi Murakami Photo Frame UT T-Shirt (Blue)
The most conceptual piece of the four UT tees. A horizontal photo-style graphic sits across the chest, framed by Murakami’s flower motifs. The red-toned image against the blue base creates a sharp visual contrast that makes this the most art-forward shirt in the lineup. Size S.
Takashi Murakami x Billie Eilish x Uniqlo Keychain
Uniqlo offered a special keychain as a gift with purchase during the original UT drop. That origin makes this piece harder to find independently than any of the shirts, it was never sold individually. It combines Murakami’s smiling flower aesthetic with Eilish’s creative identity in a compact, everyday-carry format. For collectors who want the full picture of the collaboration, this is the missing piece that most people don’t have.
Billie Eilish x Takashi Murakami Keychain | UNIQLO UT
The Takashi Murakami x Billie Eilish x UNIQLO Keychain brings together contemporary art, global pop culture, and streetwear design in a compact collectible accessory. This unique collaboration merges Murakami’s iconic smiling flower aesthetic with Billie Eilish’s bold creative identity, produced as part of UNIQLO’s limited collaborative releases.
Why these pieces hold collector value
Three factors position this collaboration above standard music merchandise in terms of long-term interest.
First, creative authenticity. This collaboration grew from a genuine friendship and a shared music video project. It wasn’t designed to sell T-shirts, the T-shirts came after the creative relationship was already established. Consequently, each piece carries a layer of meaning that purely commercial drops don’t have.
Second, Murakami’s market position. Murakami’s market delivers consistent long-term returns, and pieces tied to his official collaborations benefit from that trajectory. The Eilish UT collection represents a direct point of contact between his fine art world and mainstream pop culture. Moreover, the SS19 Blohsh Melted Tee sits even closer to the fine art side of that spectrum.
Third, condition and scarcity. The Uniqlo UT drop happened in May 2020 and never repeated. The Blohsh Melted Tee predates it by a full year. Furthermore, the keychain was never sold independently. Finding any of these pieces in unworn condition through a verified source grows harder every year.
Shop the full Billie Eilish x Takashi Murakami collection
Browse all six pieces, from the 2019 Blohsh Melted Tee to the complete Uniqlo UT lineup, at the Billie Eilish section of Rare Inventory. Every item ships original and verified. Stock is limited and won’t be restocked.
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