Art meets boardsport culture: Blue Tomato and The Dudes celebrate their joint collection “Tomato Salad Days”

Two brands, one shared vision: International boardsports and lifestyle specialist Blue Tomato and the Berlin-based collective The Dudes have launched an exclusive, limited-edition collection called “Tomato Salad Days.” This collection uniquely blends streetwear, art, and youthful energy. The collaboration was celebrated at a pre-launch event in the Blue Tomato store in Berlin City, marking the start of a tour through six cities in Germany and Austria.

• Limited collection combines artistic style, humor and unique story elements

• A pre-launch event in Berlin kicked off a tour through six cities in Germany and Austria

• Illustrator and The Dudes co-founder McBess shapes the collection's distinctive visual language.

Nostalgia, humor, and meticulous craftsmanship

"Tomato Salad Days" is a throwback to the golden days of youth – a time when everything was carefree and full of energy. The limited-edition collection includes streetwear such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, pants, and shorts, as well as caps, sunglasses, socks, mugs, and collectibles. What sets it apart from typical collaborations is that, in addition to elaborately designed patches, select shirts feature NFC chips that, when scanned, link to further content, products, contests, and artwork.

Youthful energy playfully captured.

“The Dudes’ creative spirit is based on a certain kind of humor – we definitely don’t take anything too seriously,” says McBess, illustrator and co-founder of The Dudes. “And we’re holding onto that spirit in the development of our brand. It’s about youthful energy, and ‘Tomato Salad Days’ is a playful way of capturing that.” Jonas Pernitz, Team Manager for Event Marketing at Blue Tomato, adds: “With The Dudes, we’ve found partners whose attitude and visual language perfectly match our community. This collection is something truly special – personal, handcrafted, and with genuine artistic ambition.”

The Dudes was founded in Berlin in 2010 by a group of friends, including the French illustrator McBess (Matthieu Bessudo). Its distinctive visual language blends early 1930s animation aesthetics with modern design and incorporates references to music, food, and underground culture. Over the years, The Dudes has built an international following within streetwear and graphic design communities.

Surprise for the brave at the “Tattoo Glory Hole”

A particular highlight of the event series is the "Tattoo Glory Hole": Visitors stick their arm through an opening in the wall and receive a surprise tattoo without knowing the design or placement beforehand. The Dudes run their own tattoo studio in their Berlin shop and surprised everyone with this spontaneous, humorous event attraction. The city tour program is rounded out by DJ sets, frisbee golf, beer pong, DIY patch workshops, and the "Wheel of Misfortune."

Four more stops in Germany and Austria

• April 30th – Blue Tomato Shop Freiburg

• 01.05. – Blue Tomato Shop Innsbruck

• 07.05. – Blue Tomato Shop Vienna Neubaugasse

• 09.05. – Blue Tomato Shop Linz

Blue Tomato, founded in 1988 by former Austrian European Snowboard Champion Gerfried Schuller, is one of the world's largest online retailers in the snowboard, freeski, surf, skateboard, and streetwear sectors, with over 850 employees and more than 400 brands. The company, headquartered in Schladming, Styria, as well as in Graz and Vienna, operates more than 80 shops in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

All information about the collaboration with The Dudes can be found online in the Blue Tomato Blue World at: www.blue-tomato.com/blue-world/products/the-dudes-collab