Whether you’re counting down the days to the start of the new term – out of joy or dread – the first day back at school is always a big one. New teachers, new classrooms and hopefully new friends, make for a lot of unavoidable change. But, one thing you can control is your style, regardless of how boring the uniform may be.
No matter if you’re shopping for yourself, your little ones, or big ones, perhaps, you need something that will look cool, be comfortable and, most importantly, actually carry everything you need. And HYPE. may be just the ticket.
If you’ve not heard of the brand before, chances are you’ve seen it, with daring designs from graffiti drips and glitter to leopard print and PU leather-covered backpacks, water bottles and lunch boxes, to name but a few. And looking at the brand’s history, it’s easy to see why these prints are so prominent.
Established in 2011, HYPE. began as a self-funded project, designing printed clothing and accessories with a streetwear influence. Fast forward ten years and everyone from Jay-Z to Maya Jama have been spotted repping its wares, but luckily it doesn’t come with an A-lister price tag. No one wants a backpack that costs the world, and on that note, doing its bit to help, every back-to-school order placed will fund the planting of one tree in the HYPE. forest – which is already 180,000 trees deep.
So, before it’s time to pack the pencil case, line up the lunch box and buckle up the backpack, you may want to get a head start on picking your favourite designs. As an added bonus, currently backpack orders over £24.99 come with a free pencil case too – just be sure to claim it in the cart at checkout and note that the colour may vary.
To give you a taster of what to expect, we’ve introduced the Class of ‘22 collection below, picking our top picks, to save you the deliberation. Go on, give them a read. And if you do find something you love, the collection is available to shop online at Justhype.com, in HYPE.’s Carnaby London Store or at select retailers worldwide.
HYPE. pink magical unicorn BTS bundle: £54.99, Justyhype.com
Best: For dreamers
Looking for a quick win? A bundle may be for you. With a standard 18l backpack big enough to hold a 15in laptop, a thermal lined lunchbox and a 500ml heat retaining water bottle all in the HYPE. pink magical unicorn design, you’re sure to be colour coordinated in this bright, bold and beautiful print.
And it doesn’t just look good. With a durable wipe-clean fabric base, adjustable extra strong padded straps and a compact front pocket, the backpack is really made to last, and the water bottle and lunch box boast similarly impressive design features too.
HYPE. teal and orange paint brush lunchbox: £14.99, Justhype.com
Best: For artists
Going back to its streetwear roots, this graffiti print lunchbox is definitely one for the cool kids. With thermal lining, it’s said to keep food cool and fresh for longer – a big win for tuna sandwich lovers – has a front zip pouch to separate snacks, a side bottle pocket for your matching HYPE. water bottle, and grab handle for easy carrying.
This one is a standard size, measuring 21cm in length, but maxi sizes are also available for anyone looking for something bigger.
HYPE. blue and orange lightning galaxy pencil case: £9.99, Justhype.com
Best: For star gazers
For any stationary lovers, a new pencil case may be the most exciting buy ahead of school. For a new pencil case also means new pens, pencils and highlighters – a real thrill for those who like their books looking clean and crisp.
At 20cm, this should be long enough to hold all of the essentials – mini ruler included – and the handy top handle means you can easily carry it alone when all you need is a few pens too.
HYPE. blue and orange under sea backpack: £24.99, Justhype.com
Best: For sea lovers
Now, this is one funky print. Calling all sea lovers, soon-to-be marine biologists or deep sea divers, you’ll want to head into the blue with this one. Again a standard-sized unisex backpack, it’s large enough to hold A4 books, a 15in laptop, water bottle and more. Embossed inside lining helps to make it durable to carry any weight, while the adjustable padded straps make for comfortable wear.
With the number of colours coming through in the goldfish, seaweed and coral, you could easily pair this with a range of solid coloured accessories, or go bold and clash the prints. And, even better, it also comes with a free pencil case, just be sure to select it at checkout.
HYPE. pink flamingo rainforest metal water bottle: £14.99, Justhype.com
Best: For animal lovers
No one wants to mix up their backpack, pencil case or gym bag with anyone else. But accidentally using someone else’s water bottle is probably the worst. So, ditching the boring basic colours, or worse, a non-environmentally friendly plastic one, may just help you avoid the inevitable cold that always goes around.
Designed to retain the heat (or coolness) of whatever’s inside, this bottle claims to keep liquid cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours, which seems like a very handy trick to us. And its fabulous flamingo print is just an added bonus.
HYPE. black planet drawstring bag: £12.99, Justhype.com
Best: For space explorers
In need of an extra bag for PE, swimming lessons or art club? You don’t have to carry two backpacks, don’t worry. A handy drawstring bag may be an easy answer, and it can be folded up and tucked inside your backpack when empty too, to save you carrying it around.
At over 50cm tall, it certainly seems like it can hold a lot, and the simple drawstring closure should make it easy to carry too. If you want to be uber organised, opt for the same print for the rest of your back-to-school kit too.
HYPE. gradient pastel animal print backpack: £24.99, Justhype.com
Best: For cool kids
This bold graphic print is certainly one for those who want to make a statement. Upgrading the classic leopard print to a cool pastel gradient, it really pops against the black for a street-style vibe that can be spotted a mile away. Again, at 18l it can fit a whole host of things inside from laptops and books to a pencil case, so you should never be tight on space. The fluffy pompom isn’t included but does add that wow factor, so be sure to add it to your basket to complete the look. And, even better, it also comes with a free pencil case, just be sure to select it at checkout.
HYPE.’s Back To School Collection is now available at justhype.com, online and in-store at selected retailers worldwide.
