5 BEST COLLABS OF of 2021
2 Designers Are Better Than One
Fashion collaborations can be an excellent way for designers and brands to access a client base that may not usually be into said designer or brand. Whether it’s two brands merging for a capsule collection, or a designer teaming up with a celebrity, collaborations allow for more creative output. In addition, the limited availability almost always creates buzz and a must-have mindset. Let’s look at five collaborations this year that prove that sometimes two minds are better than one.
FENDI / VERSACE
Frankenstein’s fantastic fashion known as “Fendace” was unleashed upon the world this past September. Fendi Creative Directors Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini and Versace’s Donatella Versace swapped houses for Pre-Fall 2022, and the result was nothing short of amazing. What started as a fun, almost “what-if” conversation between the Directors over dinner resulted in a blowout spectacle that saw the likes of Naomi Campbell, Amber Valletta, and Kate Moss modeling the hybrid pieces. Here’s hoping that this isn’t just a one-time capsule collection.
INDYA MOORE / TOMMY HILFIGER
Pose star Indya Moore partnered with Tommy Hilfiger for a size-inclusive, non-gendered capsule collection earlier this year under the Hilfiger People’s Place Program – a platform focused on increasing representation in fashion and beyond. The collection includes Hilfiger staples like polo shirts and bandeau tops, all co-designed by Moore herself. Known as TommyxIndya, the capsule also benefits good causes, including Rainbow Railroad, Reuniting of African Descendants (ROAD), and the Global Coalition.
PUMA / KITSUNE
This year, Puma and Maison Kitsune’s collaboration saw the marriage of vintage and modernity. The harmony of sportswear and Japanese heritage resulted in a beautiful capsule of apparel and accessories with a rich, earthy color palette. In addition, Kitsune’s signature fox logo, a symbol of versatility in Japanese folklore, was adapted to each piece’s color scheme, thereby driving home the versatility theme.
MARGIELA / REEBOK
Maison Margiela’s collaboration with Reebok is already familiar to many, as the partnership first debuted for Spring/Summer 2020. This time around, Margiela reworked Reebok’s Classic Leather in the Maison’s “Bianchetto” technique, which utilizes hand-painting that chips off with continued wear. Rather than consider a defect, Bianchetto creates an individualized effect and appears different on each piece, depending on the wearers’ movements.
PROENZA SCHOULER / BIRKENSTOCK
Since Birkenstock’s 1774 partnership concept launched in 2019, its favorite sandal has gotten the designer collaboration treatment from some of the best minds in the game – from Rick Owens to Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli. This time around, Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez unleashed their design DNA on two signature Birkenstock styles: the Arizona and the Milano. The color palette is drawn from past collections of Schouler and is versatile enough to be a perfect loungewear partner or elegant streetwear staple.
