Why are designers collaborating with mainstream brands?
written by Jenny Li
Designer brands like Prada or Dior are the epitome of Fashion but are extremely expensive and target the wealthy consumers, who want a one-off or made-to-measure pieces. Ready-to-Wear products are supposed to be more consumer-friendly than the bespoke pieces by the brands/designers however, these products are still on the pricier side and also targets a small percentage of the consumer market.
Yet recently, brands and designers have been collaborating more and more with mainstream and high street brands, making the products more accessible to the general consumer but with a designer flair to them. Here are just a few collabs…
Giambattista Valli X H&M
H&M have a history of collaborating with Designer brands and designers themselves such as Balmain, Moschino and Alexander Wang, just to name a few. But this collab with Valli, that dropped in November 2019, is by far the most couture collection yet, with the showstopping pieces being the tulle dresses modelled by Kendall Jenner.
Not only did Valli create a womenswear collection, but he also created a menswear line as well as, accessories that symbolised Valli’s brand. The pricing for this collab ranged from at least £12.99 – 299.99, this affordable couture collection really upgraded the high street style.
Alexander Wang X Uniqlo
Uniqlo is also a brand that also teams up with other designers but, Wang is by far the most well-known. Wang’s signature use of black fabrics and association with athleisurewear is definitely visible in the AIRism collection with Uniqlo.
This collection boasts seamless comfort for both men and women, with particular focus on the underwear department and as the collab continues, more is added to the collection such as tops and bodysuits. These pieces are certainly a take on the basics and are certainly worth it.
Louis Vuitton X Supreme
The skateboarding/streetwear brand Supreme joined with Louis Vuitton (LV) in 2017 was an iconic combination. This led to the iconic mix of both brands trademark logos and patterns printed in white on red clothing pieces. This pattern was replicated onto many items such as skateboards, luggage, hoodies, t-shirts, etc. The products were largely menswear and the popularity of the collab even continues today, as resale prices for Supreme X LV collab being marketed at inflated prices.
Fiorucci X Adidas
One of the latest designer-mainstream collaboration has been Fiorucci X Adidas, this is the latest collection in the line of collabs these two brands have done. The previous collections that came out in 2019 were, Adidas Loves Fiorucci and Adidas Meets Fiorucci. The range used a colour palette of red, black and white, that also displayed the iconic Fiorucci alongside the Adidas stripes. Yet the latest drop has upped the ante going for a graphic print style, fit for the Spring/Summer season. Again, this has an Athleisure feel to the collection and the most interesting addition is the graffiti bag. This collab has reinvigorated the Fiorucci brand and we can’t wait to see more.