If there were any doubts about whether collaborations would live on in 2020, the string of new partnerships that have emerged in the first two weeks of the decade put the question to rest.
And the pairings are as unlikely and interesting as ever. Here’s a look at the latest duos to electrify retail.
Gucci x Disney
Disney is the latest institution to be Gucci-fied. The luxury brand debuted its Cruise 2020 collaboration with Disney, a collection of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and accessories adorned with Gucci’s double G logo and iconic characters, like Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
The collection smacks of nostalgia with Disney prints decorating retro bowling shirts and matching linen shorts and silk tunics, plus wide-leg trousers with prints that combine Mickey with vintage lake and waterfowl motifs. Co-branded T-shirts and sweatshirts are sure to become street style must-haves. Meanwhile, Mickey decorates the deep range of apparel and accessories featuring Gucci’s signature brown GG print.
The collaboration’s Instagram-friendly photo and video campaign that shows models spinning in tea cups and riding log flumes is an easy reminder of why Gucci became the de facto luxury brand for Gen Z and millennial consumers.
A.P.C. x Carhartt WIP
In their fifth collaboration, A.P.C. and Carhartt WIP offers garments that combine both brands identities—literally. Garments feature a logo that blends A.P.C.’s sans serif lettering with Carhartt’s signature swirl ‘C.’
The collection features signature Carhartt WIP silhouettes like a denim chore jacket, cargo shorts and sweatshirts, reinterpreted with A.P.C.’s panache for French simplicity and premium fabrics. A line of tote bags, knit beanies, wallets and fanny packs round out the men’s and women’s collaboration.
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Billie Eilish x H&M
In the lead-up to her “Where Do We Go?” world tour that kicks off in March, Gen Z pop star Billie Eilish debuted a line of unisex merch with H&M. The collection features Eilish’s signature streetwear-inspired style (i.e. bucket hats, oversized T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants), but with a sustainable twist. Garments are made with resource-conscious materials like organic cotton.
The collection echoes Eilish’s efforts to make the tour as green as possible. Venues will be outfitted with recycling bins and fans are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles. They can also learn more about climate change at a “Billie Eilish Eco-Village” at each stop on the tour.
“Billie Eilish is obviously an inspiring artist, but also someone a lot of people around the world admire for her personal style and empowering way of expressing her values,” said Emily Bjorkheim, head of design for the Divided division at H&M, where shoppers will find the artist’s merch. “We want to enable her fans to step into her world and feel empowered to freely express their style as well.”
Paul&Shark x Greg Lauren
The sea serves as the inspiration for the latest collaboration between Italian brand Paul&Shark and designer Greg Lauren. The four-piece drop includes a co-branded logo T-shirt, a nylon and cotton hoodie, a hoodie embellished with deconstructed Paul&Shark patches and a mandarin collar button-down shirt with contrasting stripe patterns.
Highsnobiety x Selfridges
What do you get when an online streetwear publication partners with a beacon of British retail to create a collection to commemorate a bygone French boutique? The “Colette, Mon Amour” collection by Highsnobiety and Selfridges.
Highsnobiety announced a long-term working relationship with Selfridges, starting with merchandise for the documentary, “Colette, Mon Amour,” a new film that chronicles the final days of the famous Parisian concept store, Colette, which shuttered its doors in 2017 after two decades in operation.
The collection launched at The Co.Lab, a new space at Selfridge’s London store that will feature a rotating roster of exclusive product drops, including Alyx x Moncler on Jan. 13, Highsnobiety x Sotheby’s on Jan. 20 and Highsnobiety x Maison Margiela on Jan. 27.
“Highsnobiety’s unique position as a cultural aggregator and authority and its multi-platform, multi-disciplinary approach has unlocked the next-level of brand collaboration,” Selfridges executive buying and merchandising director Sebastian Manes said.
Pronounce x Diesel
Italian denim brand Diesel is in cahoots with Pronounce to develop a Fall ’20 capsule collection to be sold in China and select Diesel stores. In an interview with WWD, Pronounce co-designer Jun Zhou said the collaboration was developed based on Diesel’s archive. “What inspired us hugely was Diesel’s path from beginning to now, where every single step matters—we were inspired by those ‘watermarks’ in the creative process,” Zhou said.
Pronounce teased a few pieces from the collaboration at its London Fashion Week: Men’s runway show last week, revealing denim with water and dye effects. The rest of the collaboration will be presented in March at Shanghai Fashion Week.
Mytheresa x Prada
Luxury e-commerce site Mytheresa teamed with Prada to develop its first men’s wear collection. The collection smacks of ’90s sport minimalism with a focus on garments made with technical fabrics like nylon, bonded ripstop and stretch poplin. The collaboration will launch Jan. 27.
Benzak x Pols Potten
When Amsterdam-based denim brand Benzak Denim Developers set out to create the look book for its new “made in Japan” line of jeans, it found a like-minded creative partner in local interior design brand Pols Potten.
Benzak photographed the collection at Pols Potten’s Amsterdam store, where it paired each pair of jeans with the most fitting décor designed by the studio. “The space itself couldn’t have been more perfect for the occasion,” Benzak stated on its website. “The incredible daylight and the rawness of the interior architecture added what can only be described as an open and inviting space that inspires creativity.”
Roots x Boy Meets Girl
Outdoor lifestyle brand Roots and athleisure brand Boy Meets Girl came together for a 15-piece limited-edition streetwear collaboration. The collection brings together the two brands’ logos and celebrates three values they share: community, freedom and integrity.
“I love the challenge of joining two brands together, and locking-up the Roots and Boy Meets Girl logos was like putting the perfect puzzle together,” said Stacy Igel, Boy Meets Girl founder and creative director. “When I consider a collaboration, I pay a lot of attention to what the other brand stands for and who its audience is. Roots and Boy Meets Girl speak to the same customer—authentic, fun, purposeful.”
The collection includes organic unisex cotton T-shirts, recycled yarn sweatpants, hoodies, skirts, leggings and matching styles for kids. The collection debuted in this month in Asia and it will launch in North America in February.