The launch of the famous collaboration between Karl Lagerfeld and H&M changed fashion history 17 years ago. The strange fashionista couple broke the foundations of a hermetic industry that, from that moment, opened its doors to the world of capsule collections and collaborations. Little by little, the brands adapted to this new system that has now gone viral and characterizes the dynamics of a business that, given the need to provide buyers with constant news, pursues visibility through collaborations, that now surprise by the associations between rival luxury firms.
When the collaboration of Gucci and The North Face "broke the internet", the Italian fashion titan had an ace up his sleeve. The hack (the brand insists on erasing the word "collaboration" from this experience) of Gucci and Balenciaga made clear their intention to resort to "endless births" and continuous regenerations. Both this adventure and that of Versace and Fendi represent a step further in this commitment, as pointed out by Ashley Dudarenok, founder of the ChoZan trend anticipation company. "The mix of high-end brands with affordable brands is already an old thing, but the combination of the luxury greats is something totally new." The move has gone so well for Fendi that, shortly after, she has allied herself with the undisputed queen of social networks, Kim Kardashian. By launching a collaboration with their brand, Skims, both firms have irreparably changed the world of luxury.
«Planned obsolescence was born from the hand of fashion, where brands need to invent relentlessly to attract the attention of customers. This occurs especially in the world of luxury, where firms carry out actions to prevent the competition from doing so before. If the collaborations are not coherent, they only add noise. For me they are hypes, which is what sells, and although they are suitable for nomadic consumers, who care about the heritage of the brand, this type of action may upset them. While discreet luxury does not participate in these dynamics, showcase luxury is almost forced to do so, and with collaborations it wants to be the first to arrive without first wondering where it is going”, explains Inma Urrea, custom branding consultant.
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Fatima Aït Zahrire, head of brand management specialized in fashion, emphasizes the importance of the existence of a real synergy between the brands so that the collaboration is consistent with the values of both. “The keys for these collaborations to work are that both brands are complementary and that each one, thanks to this limited edition, shows a different side of what they usually do while remaining consistent. It is the perfect moment for each one to let free the expression of her creativity and connect with her audience in a new way. Hence the importance of choosing the perfect partner. It is also vital that both are connected to the message and the narrative of this collaboration and that they are clear about the message they want to convey to connect with the public.
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT MATCH
The collaborations that work are the ones that bring benefits to both brands, so to find the perfect synergy, the firms cannot get carried away by likes, but make sure that these fashion matches are the result of a calm analysis. «We want to work with young designers and artists who speak the same aesthetic and philosophical language that the new generations have valued and who help us to approach a new community of people around the age of 30 with an open mind. We like to collaborate with unconventional talents, with designers who are not afraid to experiment and who help us take our collections to the next level", explains Guillem Gallego, Desigual's chief marketing officer.
Although the firm has been working with Christian Lacroix for 10 years, now it is immersing itself in the universe of capsule collections and collaborations, an adventure that, at the hands of creators such as Miranda Makaroff, María Escoté or Esteban Cortázar and brands such as Victoria or Ecoalf is raising the brand to a new dimension.
For its part, the work of Juan Vidal with Birmani has become the favorite of the networks, who have fallen in love with the adventure between the designer and Laura Corsini, which will soon have a second part. "The collaboration arose from the need to do new things," says Corsini. Collaborations are the perfect formula to also attract the attention of the press and buyers. Brands like Gucci have managed to find the secret so that generation Z not only falls in love with their latest releases, but also discovers the DNA of the house, by combining their adventures (it has just launched a tote bag with Comme des Garçons) with actions aimed at creating links.
“Buying is not limited to acquiring things. It is about establishing a connection with them”, explained the creative director of Gucci Alessandro Michelle about Vault, a store created by the Italian firm where there is no lack of vintage pieces with which young people can discover their legacy. And so we witness the paradox of fashion: to move towards the future, you have to look to the past; and to compete with the rival, sometimes it is better to join him and work together.
