Time Capsule: Successful and Failed Collaborations in Fashion

Whether it’s Gucci, Adidas or H&M, brands are no strangers to collaborations with each other and individual celebrities. In recent memory, there have been no shortage of fashion collaborations, and today, we’ll be going through some of the most memorable ones – whether it be because of their success or their failure. Success and failure is not measured entirely by profit margins – rather, we will consider whether the brands reputations were elevated by their collaborations, and whether these collaborations were trailblazers for their time, and their impact on future brand actions and marketing.

Success: Louis Vuitton x Murakami

Louis Vuitton is no stranger to collaborations, and one of their most famous and successful collaborations is with the artist Takashi Murakami. First released in the early 2000s, Murakami’s designs were worn by celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan and was a raging success. In fact, this collaboration was so successful that even 20 years onwards, the partnership remains strong. Murakami’s rainbow monogram is now one of Louis Vuitton’s most recognisable patterns and the bags are constantly in high demands. The collaboration was revolutionary at the time, thrusting Louis Vuitton into a new light – a more youthful and playful style that consumers were looking for. This collaboration was one of the most iconic between a brand and an artist, and since 2003, many other fashion houses have collaborated with artists, and Louis Vuitton has even gone on to collaborate with another Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, finding much success.

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Success: Adidas x Kanye West

Sportswear giant Adidas began collaborating with rapper Kanye West in 2014, creating a highly successful partnership with products such as the Yeezy sneaker in high demand. The Yeezy shoes were highly successful, and the partnership remained strong despite scattered controversy over the year. However, in October of 2022, West’s public remarks regarding Jews and the Black lives Matter movement led to irreparable damage to his reputation and Adidas cut ties with the rapper. Adidas had remained in the partnership due to the high profits, but since the end of the collaboration, have suffered a significant loss in profits. However, despite the controversy and sour ending to the collaboration, Yeezy’s did rake in over $2 billion in annual profit, making up 10% of the brand’s total revenue, and hence has been referred to as one of the most “successful collabs in history” by Adidas chief executive Bjorn Gulden.

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Success: Karl Lagerfeld x H & M

Karl Lagerfeld is no stranger to high fashion brands – but his collaboration with mass-market brand H&M in 2004 is listed here as a success not only for its sales numbers, but its legacy. The collaboration boosted H&M’s reputation, making luxury more accessible to the everyday consumer, and allowing Karl Lagerfeld to reach an audience beyond the members of higher society he had already captivated during his time at Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld changed H&M’s course of collaborations and they went on to collaborate with other designer brands such as Isabel Marrant and Moschino. The collaboration boosted the reputation of both parties and redefined the boundaries of collaborations, opening the door for previously ‘highbrow’ brands to reach the everyday audience.

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Failure: Loewe x Howl’s Moving Castle

In 2023, Spanish brand Loewe announced their collaboration with Howl’s Moving Castle – the well-loved Studio Ghibli film – coming off the success of their previous collaborations with other Studio Ghibli films such as My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away. Despite criticism about the pricing of the previous collections, their success was undeniable, resulting in a three-movie spanning collaboration. However, the Howls Moving Castle collaboration was criticised for being ridiculously priced and for lazy designs, with many feeling that by putting a family-friendly movie on their products, the pricing should reflect affordability for those families who enjoy the film. The designs were also criticised for lacking creativity, especially with regard to the printed bags. Whilst Loewe’s reputation and finances did not suffer exceptionally from this collaboration, it was markedly less successful than their previous collections and spoke to a lack of creativity and a focus on profits that the public and consumers heavily criticised.

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Failure: Tiffany & Co x Nike

When it comes to American brands, Tiffany & Co and Nike have established themselves at the forefront of the market. However, two powerhouse companies collaborating is not always a good idea and this 2023 collaboration proves it. Tiffany & Co has long been synonymous with elegance, class, and luxury, whilst Nike has always been a sports brand focused on athleticism and practicality over aesthetics. The release of Tiffany blue Nike Air Force shoes, a shoe horn, brush and whistle hence catered to two very separate markets. Those who fell into Nike’s demographic could not justify Tiffany’s price point for these items nor did they particularly feel a need to purchase the collection when Nike offered many of the same products from their own lines. Tiffany’s clientele also had little interest in the collaboration due to its sharp contrast to their usual products of jewellery and home décor. All in all, the collaboration was mismatched and finds a spot in this article as a failure.

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Failure: Skims x Swarovski

Kim Kardashian founded her shapewear brand Skims in 2019 and in part due to her fame, the brand found success in international markets. Skims has had a series of successful collaborations with brands such as Fendi. However, their 2023 collaboration with famed crystal company Swarovski left consumers perplexed. Swarovski is known for its jewellery and décor, and their venture into shapewear was a poor fit with the rest of their brand. The crystal-adorned catsuit and crystal net dresses were priced out of the average consumers reach, and most Skims wearers purchased the shapeware for its intended purpose – to be worn under clothes. This collaboration failed to reach the target audiences of both brands and was seen as a gimmick rather than a successful collaboration, especially as the prices in the collection went up to $3,300.

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Overall, there have been countless more collaborations in recent memory deserving of a place on this article. But collaborations will continue to happen between brands and due to the existing reputations of these companies, they will find consumers and demand for these collaborations and products. No collaboration will perfectly tailor to the consumers of both brands, but a combination of strong leadership vision and well researched marketing can prevent collaboration disaster and steer them towards success.

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