Here’s a list of the most revolutionary luxury brand collaborations of the past decade we couldn’t wait to get our hands on.
Gucci x The North Face
When two behemoth brands like Gucci and The North Face joined forces in December 2020, nothing less than extraordinary was expected. The North Face, an undisputed leader in outdoor gear, teamed up with Gucci to create an exquisite collection at a time when being out of the house was a rare thing and hence, considered luxurious.
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“I don’t differentiate between beauty and functionality,” said Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s creative director, about the collaboration. “I find it very comfortable to be beautiful and I find it very beautiful to be comfortable.” The collection had a strong vintage feel and comprised an assortment of retro- funk wear including hiking boots, puffer jackets, and sweatshirts emblazoned with the dual logos for the “luxe explorer”.We saw celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid all sporting the winter wear, and giving glamping a whole new spin. While some critics frowned upon this odd mishmash of brands and called The North Face a sell-out, most welcomed the collection as a cheerful respite with its prints and colours amid the morbidity of the pandemic.Xiaomi’s new ‘squircle’ logo? Subtle rebrands are nothing new for luxury brands
Dior x Nike
Dior’s collaboration with Nike in mid-2020 strategically targeted Gen Z and millennials, who were not naturally drawn to Dior. The strategy of creating just 8,000 limited edition pairs of trainers worked like a charm, and five million people signed up to buy the Dior x Nike Air Jordan 1s, causing the collection to sell out in just a few minutes.The marketing prowess of the two brands was on full display in the fact that the Nike Air Jordans – which usually sell for between US$100 and $US200 – were priced upwards of US$2,000, making them probably the most expensive Air Jordans ever to be sold in the primary market.
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Celebrity endorsements from the likes of Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott, and Ashanti reinforced the product’s star value, causing resale websites like Stockx.com and Farfetch to retail them for more than US$15,000. The demand and supply gap made the shoes a completely aspirational buy even during a rough year.Louis Vuitton x Supreme
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It was an unexpected partnership, given that both brands catered to diametrically opposite audiences. Supreme historically attracted a young and trendy crowd, while Louis Vuitton had its much more traditional luxe clientele. But it was this disruptive element that proved to be the unique selling proposition. Louis Vuitton menswear designer Kim Jones was a known streetwear aficionado, and Supreme’s alliance bought LV enough street cred to warrant the authenticity and reinvigorate the brand. Plus it gave Supreme an entry into a new playing field of luxury brands where it saw its logo alongside Louis Vuitton’s commanding LV prices.
Louis Vuitton’s revenue increased by 21 per cent to US$18 billion that year, and in LVMH’s 2017 annual report, the Supreme collaboration was directly credited as a contributing factor in this growth.
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Much like Dior and Nike’s collab, the partnership was a step towards rebranding and alluring younger audiences to own exclusive pieces like their beloved A-list celebrities –Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Madonna, who proudly flaunted their spoils all over social media.
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Versace x H&M
Perhaps the most groundbreaking pairing at the time (November 2011) was the one between Versace and H&M. It was a history-making moment in the worlds of fast and luxury fashion. Blake Lively, Uma Thurman and Emma Roberts were just a few of the celebrities who showed up for the launch in New York and brought indisputable star power to the event, which was co-hosted by none other than Donatella Versace herself.
This type of collaboration was a sure-fire commercial success for H&M as its customers managed to snag pricey Versace outfits at a fraction of the cost: publicity for both brands went through the roof.It also paved the way for numerous future luxury collaborations for H&M with the likes of Marni, Alexander Wang, Balmain and others. The collection sold out in the brand’s Dubai and Beijing stores in 30 mins flat, while the store’s website crashed in minutes due to high traffic. Customers quickly scanned resale websites like eBay to get their hands on the coveted collection – but by then at much higher prices.
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Dolce & Gabbana x Smeg
One of the dreamiest collaborations of recent years has been between two Italian superstar brands – D&G and Smeg – who have now partnered three times in five years to launch variations of their ostentatiously stylish yet functional home appliance collection.
It was at 2016’s Milan Design Fair when the world was first introduced to the quirky products. The wonderfully odd, hand-painted refrigerators from the Sicily collection sold for a whopping US$50,000 each. Limited to 100 pieces, these snazzy works of art were a visual treat for collectors and homemakers alike.
The two brands joined forces again in 2019 to launch another range of smaller home appliances including kettles, toasters and coffee makers. The range became Insta-famous after Kris Jenner gifted them as party favours at her Christmas party that year, and Kim Kardashian took to social media to praise her mum’s generosity and the beauty of the collection.5 times Kim Kardashian splurged on her sisters
The third instalment of the collaboration was Smeg’s best-selling Victoria range cookers, which were redesigned with blue and white Majolica patterns inspired by the Mediterranean.
It’s evident that as brands reinvent themselves with every collaboration, the customer benefits from distinctive designs and one-of-a-kind offerings too. A win-win situation for everyone, it seems.
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