In the constantly evolving world of fashion, creative minds are whirring to bring us the next IT product. Retail moguls like H&M, Target, J C Penny and Gap have tied up with designers from Halston to Sabyasachi to make luxury fashion accessible to the masses. However, it is when powerhouses join forces that we see dream collections come to life. Gucci X Balenciaga was an eye-opener to the endless possibilities, and we were left intrigued by the news of Mulberry’s celebratory capsule collection with designers Priya Ahluwalia, Nicholas Daley and Richard Malone.
Here’s our round-up some of the most successful, and anticipated designer-to-designer collaborations.
Past: The 2010s were the years of peak collaboration. Here are three collaborations between high fashion houses whose products are still deemed collectables even if their production may have stopped.
Vetements (2017)
Demna Gvasalia opened the portal to collaboration with the Vetements debut couture collection. With a total of 18 brands like Levis, Juicy Couture, Manolo Blahnik on-broad ranging from Comme Des Garçons to Champion, the collection took the industry by storm and kept true to the brand’s aesthetic of strong shapes and silhouettes.
Louis Vuitton X Supreme (2017)
January 2017 gave us this ground-breaking and much-awaited collaboration. Fashion enthusiasts were left hungry for one (if not all) of the limited collection pieces from the luxury and streetwear brand alliance. However, it was more than just iconic, taking over every feed and making Supreme one of the most coveted streetwear brands.
Alexander Wang X Adidas (2019)
This clever alliance only grew stronger, backed by its cult-like following. Six collections strong, the brands announced their final and concluding FW19 collection in December 2019. Each of the six drops was not to be missed and brought the world of luxury and hype wear closer, broadening the market for both.
Present: The collaborations in 2021 are changing the face of fashion as we have seen some jaw-dropping alliances. Blurring the lines between reality and technology and making strategic moves towards conscious consumption, here are three collaborations that we are shopping from.
Gucci X Balenciaga (April 2021)
A gamechanger of designer alliances, this collaboration was launched through the Gucci Aria digital fashion show. The two iconic fashion houses recently showcased their Spring Summer 2022 collection that was an intriguing play between reality and the altered. The collection is gender-neutral, inclusive and collectivist.
Ganni x Ahluwalia (April 2021)
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The shared core values of sustainability led these brands to come together and launch an upcycled collection. This is the first womenswear collection for London-based designer Priya Ahluwalia. She retains some of her menswear signatures fused with Ganni’s playful, confident aesthetic that is full of contrast.
H&M X Toga (September 2021)
The highly anticipated H&M’s collaboration with Tokyo-based luxury brand TOGA will be available from September. TOGA’s eccentric, experimental and genderless aesthetic will be interpreted in H&M’s designs. We can expect to see TOGA’s signature hybridised trench coats, deconstructed striped shirts, plissé skirts, dresses with clever cut-outs, and exacting tailoring in this collection.
Dior X Sacai (November 2021)
Dior is collaborating with Japanese brand Sacai for the duo’s first co-branded collection. This collection will showcase Dior’s classic silhouettes amalgamated with fabrics and details favoured by Sacai, expected to arrive this November.
Mulberry X Nicholas Daley (November 2021)
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In honour of the 50th-anniversary celebrations, Mulberry announced joyful collaborations with three visionary designers. Their capsule collection with Ahluwalia was launched a few days back, making us look forward to the next collections created in collaboration with Richard Malone and Nicholas Daley. Each of them would consist of limited-edition accessories that draw inspiration from iconic Mulberry design codes.
Thumbnail Image: Courtesy of Gucci | Lead Image: Courtesy of Adidas, Ganni X Ahluwalia and Dior
