In a world struggling with ever-deepening rifts, it’s heartening to think that the biggest trend of 2025 hasn’t been for a singular product, but for collaborations. Think quirky British handbag designer Anya Hindmarch teaming up with Uniqlo, the Japanese high street brand prized for its affordable and wellmade everyday basics. Or Louis Vuitton and legendary artist Takashi Murakami. Or Belmond and Dior; The Newt and Burberry...
And now, new for Summer 2025, Fiat, the Italian car brand, and Vilebrequin, the French swimwear brand. You might imagine that the result of such a meeting would be a pair of reasonably easy to produce, car-print swim shorts — but you would be wrong. That would be far too easy. Instead, they’ve collaborated on a limited edition, teeny tiny car that chic doesn’t need to take itself too seriously.
Fiat has never been one to shy away from stylish cars that err on the smaller side of things. Most notably, there’s been the Fiat Jolly, a doorless vehicle with wicker seats, the Panda 4x4 and modern-day 500, which, in the 2010s took the parking place of every London VW Beetle, seemingly overnight.
However, the smallest is the electric Topolino — Italian for ‘baby mouse’ and the name given to the original Fiat 500. The practical (assuming you’re not planning on travelling miles and miles), pocket-size, parallel parker’s dream has a range of 47 miles and a top speed of 28mph. It was released as an urban EV in 2023 and available in a single colour (Verde Vita), until last week, when Vilebrequin’s Collector’s Edition hit the road.
This new summer iteration comes in white and marine blue, inspired by the beach club umbrellas that stud the Mediterranean Riviera, and has a soft top roof that folds up like a sunhat. The built-in shower (I bet you didn’t see that coming) is designed to make beach days a breeze. Not that it would matter much if you did jump in with sandy feet because the standard floor mats have been replaced with sleek teak detailing, reminiscent of a yacht’s deck. Like the Jolly it has chunky safety ropes instead of doors; lastly, the seats are upholstered in the Vilebrequin logo.
‘We aim to make vacation an everyday art form,’ says Vilebrequin’s CEO, Roland Herlory ‘We want Fiat lovers to personalise their ride to the beach — with a selection of sand-ready accessories and Vilebrequin collector’s stickers.’
You don’t need to ask us (to have fun) twice.
The Fiat Topolino Vilebrequin Collector’s Edition costs from €13,490.00. Visit the Fiat website for more information
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