Officially titled the Instax Mini 70 by Michael Kors, Fujifilm is calling it “the pinnacle of style and substance.” We’re not sure exactly what that means, but the camera appears to be a standard Mini 70 with a fresh coat of gold metallic paint on the front and the designer’s signature emblazoned in the same color on the back.
The co-branded camera may seem a bit out of left field, but this is really just the latest in a long line of collaborations between camera companies and the world of fashion. This practice undoubtedly hit a high point with the Leica/Playboy/Hello Kitty mashup a couple of years ago. The Fujifilm/Michael Kors experiment is mild by comparison.
In one way, the collaboration makes perfect sense. The world of fashion couldn’t be what it is without photography, and the purpose-built selfie features of the Mini 70 (it even has a mirror next to the lens) would seem to encourage users to show off their own personal style.
“We are seeing an explosion of excitement in instant photography today, and now consumers can make a stylish statement with the combination of Instax and the luxury of the Michael Kors brand,” said Mark Yamamoto, President and CEO of Fujifilm North America, in a statement.
The explosion of excitement is no joke. Recently, Fujifilm has put a renewed effort on its instant photography offerings, bringing out a new Instax Share printer a few months ago, followed by a new black-and-white Mini film, followed by this week’s earlier announcement of an entirely new square format coming in 2017.
Despite the rise of the smartphone and the demise of the digital point-and-shoot, there is a staggering amount of interest in instant photography. This latest partnership is just one more way Fujifilm hopes to capitalize on it.
The Instax Mini 70 by Michael Kors will come bundled with film, ready to use, and will be available for a limited time from late October through the end of the year. Fujifilm has not yet released a price, but the standard Instax Mini 70 sells for $95 to $120, depending on color, without film included.
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