Samad Hakani, Photography Editor

Drake’s clothing brand, October’s Very Own, recently launched a Yale-themed collection, which is available for purchase in-store at the Yale Bookstore and online at the October’s Very Own website.

Of the four items in the collection, the “Campus Varsity Jacket” is the most expensive, retailing for $678. A “Campus T-shirt” and “Campus Sportcap” go for $68 each — the least expensive of the OVO pieces.

“Drake is all about hip-hop, and the kids love hip-hop, so it’s really catering to the aesthetic that the kids are looking for: oversized, urban flare, eye-catchy,” Deron Michael, general merchandising manager at the Yale Bookstore, said. 

Michael said the collaboration was facilitated by Barnes and Noble College, a company that operates campus bookstores nationwide, including Yale’s bookstore. Although the OVO collection is not available for purchase on the bookstore’s website, which is also operated by Barnes and Noble, it has been advertised online, as well as on the bookstore’s Instagram page. 

Despite the price, Michael said the collection has been “very popular” and is “definitely catching on.” He said the bookstore has sold one jacket, “some” hoodies and “a couple of” shirts, since it launched the OVO pieces on Sept. 20. 

“Like any other other expensive brands we have as well, nothing goes off the shelves, but it’s catching eyes, and the pieces that he created are eye-catching and really nice,” Michael said. “There’s one letter jacket, which is really cool because we’ve always wanted a varsity jacket, so it’s nice that he put one together.”

Neither October’s Very Own nor Barnes and Noble College could be reached for comment.

Earlier this year, the Canadian rapper and singer got into an internet rap beef with the acclaimed American artist Kendrick Lamar. Both artists released diss tracks directed against the other, including Drake’s “Family Matters” and Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

Drake has previously referenced Yale in his 2011 track, “Make Me Proud,” which features Nicki Minaj. Other rappers, such as Kanye West and Ken Carson, have also mentioned Yale in their songs. Yale is the only Ivy League school with October’s Very Own merchandise.

Paul Murawski, director of Yale’s department of marketing and trademark licensing, confirmed that his office authorized October’s Very Own to use the Yale logo for its products.

Matt Letourneau ’27, who is a campus manager for the merchandise company Fresh Prints, expects the OVO collection to appeal more to alumni than to students. He was not sure he would purchase any of the items given the high price point.

“I think that it’s good for Yale’s brand to appeal to pop culture like that,” Letourneau said. “I think it’s a smart step for Yale because it offers a reputable designer that they know people are going to like here at school.”

October’s Very Own launched similar collections for Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario. However, none of these other schools have Barnes and Noble bookstores, according to the Barnes and Noble College website.

While the Yale bookstore received OVO merchandise to sell on the floor, other schools have received licensed apparel from Travis Scott’s clothing brand. 

In April, Scott released the “Jack Goes Back to College” collection for 28 college campuses. Scott’s collection features a wider range of options than Drake’s, including T-shirts, crewnecks, hoodies, shorts, sweatpants, backpacks and hats, priced from $68 to $160. 

Like the OVO apparel, Scott’s collection was available at Barnes and Noble locations at the participating colleges’ campuses. It is also for sale on the Travis Scott website. 

Scott’s brand did not create apparel for any Ivy League Schools. 

The “Campus Varsity Jacket” and the “Campus Fleece Hoodie” in the OVO University of Western Ontario collection are sold out online.