At Paris Fashion Week, where every runway moment competes for headlines, Colm Dillane, who is better known as KidSuper, found an entirely new canvas: a car. And not just any car, but the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA, which he transformed into a full-blown superhero.
The reveal took place at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs inside the Louvre, setting the stage for something between comic book fantasy and industrial art show. Balloon accents, turbine wings, a slingshot, and a front-mounted winch – all features of KidSuper’s superhero-inspired CLA – turned the sleek new model into something joyfully unhinged, imaginative, and wildly personal. “It’s a magical car,” Dillane said of the piece. “It represents the unfiltered creativity we need more of.”
The collaboration is part of Mercedes-Benz’s Class of Creators initiative, a five-part series bringing together bold voices in design, music, gaming, and fashion. KidSuper follows interior designer Gustaf Westman and rapper Ice Spice, with Hot Wheels and Riot Games still to come.
Dillane’s CLA draws from both the past and the future. The wheels nod to the sci-fi curves of the 1996 F 200 concept car, while the side mirrors echo the iconic 300 SL. But it’s also pure KidSuper: playful, nostalgic, and just a little rebellious.
The Fashion Angle
Alongside the CLA reveal, Dillane also debuted a capsule collection inspired by the project during his Spring/Summer 2026 show. The 13-piece lineup pulls cues from mechanic culture and retro Americana – think tailored trench coats, workwear-inspired jackets, and logo-stamped tees, all finished with a slick mix of canvas, jersey, cotton, wool, and vegan leather. One standout? A T-shirt paying tribute to the “Patent Motorwagen,” the world’s first car.
It’s not just for car lovers or fashion insiders. The collection is meant to live beyond both worlds, tapping into a broader lifestyle moment where brand collabs are less about logos and more about world-building. And yes, the historical Mercedes-Benz logo makes several appearances, but with that unmistakable KidSuper twist.
With Class of Creators, Mercedes-Benz is giving artists free rein to reimagine one of its most iconic models, blending personal vision with German engineering. The company has worked with creative heavyweights before – Virgil Abloh, A$AP Rocky, Nigo – but this marks a new kind of openness. Less marketing, more meaning.
The goal? To spark inspiration across disciplines, not just drop another designer collab. And judging by the reaction in Paris, it’s working.