There are certain pairings that seem right from the off. Lexus and AMBUSH are one such case as they come together for The Future Classic Club, a new venture to mark the 25th year of the Lexus IS. The project is an exercise in blending automotive design with fashion and the wider culture of today.
You will find the collaboration making its first appearance in New York at Fashion Week, where a cinematic film will be shown alongside a limited-edition capsule put together by AMBUSH’s Yoon Ahn. Ahn has not been content to put a logo on some car merchandise; he has mined the legacy and design of the Lexus IS for pieces that exist in the space between personal style and car culture.
It is a natural fit. While both have their roots in Japan, each has built an identity that is felt well beyond it in the realms of music, design and fashion.
Lexus Meets AMBUSH
Yoon Ahn and musician VERBAL started AMBUSH in Tokyo with some experimental jewelry before it became the fashion label it is now. Tokyo is still central to who they are, even with their global reach.
Lexus is from another world entirely, yet the link is there to see. Both share a view of Japanese craftsmanship and a belief that luxury need not be conventional. That is what lies at the heart of The Future Classic Club. The project is not about following the latest trend but in finding value in the people and objects that build character.
The Lexus IS Turns 25
Then there is the matter of timing. In 2026 the Lexus IS will be 25 years old, a quarter century since the sport sedan was introduced for the 2001 model year.
Back then the IS was something of a departure for Lexus. The marque was already established with its polished sedans, but the smaller, more athletic IS put those expectations to the test and made an impression on a younger set of buyers. You could say that original mindset is very much in evidence in this work with AMBUSH. The IS was never meant to be just another formulaic luxury car. The Future Classic Club is an attempt to take that distinct identity out of the automotive sphere.
What Makes Something a Future Classic?
One might ask what qualifies as a classic. It is seldom a title you can bestow at launch.
Significance is usually earned over time. A chair becomes an icon. A car once used for transport is sought after decades down the line. This is the kind of ground Lexus and AMBUSH are treading. In a climate where everything is defined by what is new or trending, there is a timeliness to putting a premium on permanence. The Future Classic Club would have it that the things worth remembering were not designed to be of the moment. They were made to outlast it.
Where Automotive Design Meets Fashion
With the capsule collection, elements of the IS are rendered into things to be worn and kept, not just used as a prop for the partnership. There is a difference.
While we see plenty of fashion and auto crossovers these days, the better ones involve a real exchange of ideas. Whether it is a car or a suit, it all comes down to proportion, material and personality. Ahn has brought those disciplines together in his own visual way.
The film that goes with it is less of an anniversary campaign than a cultural statement on longevity.
A Different Kind of 25th Anniversary
Most carmakers would mark 25 years with a heritage color or a commemorative badge. Lexus could have done the same for the IS.
By way of AMBUSH, however, the brand can reflect on its past without getting too nostalgic. The collaboration is as much about how the IS of 25 years ago fits into contemporary culture as it is about the car itself. In the end, The Future Classic Club is not so much about anointing the Lexus IS as a classic. It is about the sort of qualities that keep a design relevant long after the day it was made.
The Lexus x AMBUSH Future Classic Club capsule will be available online at AMBUSH from September 18, 2026.