2023 was the year of the fashion partnership. Of course, this concept is by no means a modern phenomenon—Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí were ahead of the curve with their surrealist creations back in the ’30s—but every month—nay, week—of the last 12 months has seen yet another press release announcing the happy union of two more fashion brands.
Loewe can always be relied on for a quirky collab—see: the whimsical Howl’s Moving Castle collection–while others made you wonder how it took them so long to find each other, such as Jigsaw X Roksanda. Some collaborations relied on the power of celebrity–such as Skims X Swarovski and Dua Lipa X Versace–but others championed lesser-known talents, such as Stefan Cooke X Mulberry and KNWLs X Jean Paul Gaultier. The global reach of one company combined with the kudos of another (just look at the success of Wales Bonner X Adidas) can create true fashion magic.
High-street stalwart H&M was one of the earliest pioneers in the designer collab space. “We’ve been doing designer collaborations at H&M since 2004, when we launched our first collaboration with the late Karl Lagerfeld. It was an instant success. Back then, a collaboration was such a new concept,” explains the brand’s creative director, Ann-Sofie Johansson. “We have a high-ambition level for our collaborations and we want to stop the world for a moment. We’ve been able to refine a strategy over time that helps to achieve a huge level of buzz and excitement. The aim is always to give our customers something they can’t get anywhere else, at a quality level and price that is accessible to as many people as possible. Our customers really love these collaborations, which is why we keep doing them.”
For British Vogue’s commerce director, Naomi Smart, the formula for a successful fashion collaboration is simple: “What I’ve been excited to see is designers with a distinctive design DNA working together to reimagine their respective signature styles—for example Marc Jacobs for the Fendi Baguette and Gucci X Balenciaga’s cross-pollination of key bags styles, like the City—or when brands buddy up with an expert in their field to extend their offering, such as Jean Paul Gaultier with Jimmy Choo. You want to feel like the product is so unique and limited edition that it couldn’t have been made without a collaborative point of view.”
Scroll down to feast your eyes on the fashion collabs that broke the internet in 2023.
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January 2023: Louis Vuitton X Yayoi Kusama
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Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama bucket bag, $6,288
Available at 1st Dibs.
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February 2023: Loewe X Howl’s Moving Castle
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Loewe x Howl's Moving Castle Calcifer puzzle bag, $5,820
Available at Stockx.
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Loewe x Howl's Moving Castle Witch of the Waste bag, $5,294
Available at Stockx.
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February 2023: Miu Miu X New Balance
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May 2023: H&M X Mugler
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May 2023: Dua Lipa X Versace
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May 2023: Fendi X Marc Jacobs
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September 2023: Jean Paul Gaultier X Knwls
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Jean Paul Gaultier x Knwls printed mesh top, $475
Available at MyTheresa.
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Jean Paul Gaultier x Knwls wool top, $749
Available at MyTheresa.
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September 2023: Mulberry X Stefan Cooke
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October 2023: Jigsaw X Roksanda
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October 2023: Jimmy Choo X Jean Paul Gaultier
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Jimmy Choo x Jean Paul Gaultier sling back, $1,625
Available at Jimmy Choo.
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Jimmy Choo x Jean Paul Gaultier mesh pumps, $2,895
Available at Jimmy Choo.
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November 2023: Adidas X Grace Wales Bonner
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Adidas x Wales Bonner samba nylon sneakers, $269
Available at Harvey Nichols.
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November 2023: H&M X Rabanne
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November 2023: Skims X Swarovski
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Skimx x Swarovski dress, $822
Available at Vestiaire Collective.
This article was first published in British Vogue.
