Forget the Coke and Pepsi wars — they were just an advertising ploy anyway. The best beverage of our teenage years was AriZona Iced Tea. The bigger can alone made it a no-brainer for that sweet lunchtime sugar rush.
Speaking of those cans, they were always pretty fashionable in that iconic early ’90s way: nearly-neon hues, lots of experimentation with geometry — like wearing a ’50s diner but in a good way. So for its 25th anniversary, AriZona has turned its signature designs into covetable fashions and accessories.
The Great Buy 99 store — you can still nab a can for that price, even in New York — launches May 16 with AriZona Iced Tea-themed streetwear like cargo pants, dresses and button-down shirts in the classic teal-and-white gingham, a bucket hat with the cherry blossoms from its green tea bottles, plus tons of other items like tracksuits, pajamas and custom sneakers. Accessories were not forgotten, with a huge and essential range of items from lip balms and air fresheners (um, sure) to Zippo lighters and patches. While their giant cans are still 99 cents, the merchandise will range in price from 99 cents to $200.
Unlike our endless desire for nostalgia, the goods are only available for a very limited time beginning Wednesday, May 16 until Monday, May 21. While the online store will have a selection of gear, for the full line of merchandise you’ll have to be in New York where the Great Buy 99 will exist as a pop-up shop at 43 Crosby St., open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
In addition to stocking a rotating selection of items daily, the store will also have a “speakeasy” back room. Inside, a secret Green Tea Garden awaits where you can get custom embroidery done on select merchandise. Or make your devotion more permanent with flash sheet ink by tattoo artists JonBoy and Rob Greene (first come, first served on May 16, 18, 20 and 21).
So if your high school experience also meant lunches of $1 cheese slices and AriZona Iced Tea, have your wallet ready for a trip down memory lane at Great Buy 99, whether online or in SoHo.
