Color & Texture Informed 2023's Best Collaborations
To say there were a lot of collaborations in 2023 is an understatement. There was a never-ending stream of fashion collaborations and they continue to be announced as we near the last day of the year.
The fashion industry has proven there are few things it loves more than a good ol’ collaborative moment over the past few years — and 2023 was no exception.
Some team-ups were obscure (and occasionally bordered on being contrived) while others were simply long overdue. And the sheer amount of collaborations that have been released makes picking the best of the year a tricky process; however, that’s exactly what we’ve done.
The collections listed below managed to cut through the noise of a collaboration-obsessed industry. Whether it be through incredible design or marketing genius, these collaborations offered something new during a time when it's easy to be fatigued by the fashion industry's output.
Martine Rose x Nike
2023 was the year of Martine Rose. Officially the best menswear designer in Britain, this year Rose stamped her authority in the mainstream. And her ongoing Nike collaboration is no doubt a big reason why she's finally getting the praise she deserves.
The centerpiece of the collaboration was the gradient-print, mule-ified Shox sneakers. Sold out almost the instant they hit shop floors, the eccentric shoes proved to be an instant hit, helped by celebrity cosigns from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Hailey Bieber.
However, that doesn't detract from how good the clothing was. Not only did the football-inspired sportswear and tailored suits (worn by the women's US football team for the World Cup) all look the part, but they also came with a message: "When a woman wears a suit, it expresses strength, resilience, and beauty. I want women to feel powerful in their suits like men do," Rose explained.
Armani x Our Legacy
Winning the award for most unexpected collaboration, Armani and Our Legacy releasing a collection together was a surprise at first but they ended up making for a perfect match.
Part of Our Legacy's Workshop series, which is a consistent source of top-tier collaborations, this collab saw Armani's precision tailoring combined with Our Legacy's vintage inspirations.
Boxy suits, luxurious shearling jackets, and leather gloves were all reminiscent of Armani's '90s heyday while cat prints (inspired by Giorgio Armani's love for pet cats) leaned further into the retro theme with a kitsch twist.
It focused on well-made, tasteful, and largely logoless clothing; a gimmick-free approach that's not always easy to find in top-tier fashion collaborations.
Palace x C.P. Company
The sequel to last year's collaboration of the year, C.P. Company and Palace's second release managed to actually outdo its first outing.
The two brands included everyone's favorite things about C.P. Company: puffer jackets with pronounced paneling, technical fabrics, and lots of goggles. That alone would've been enough to grant it space in this list, but one standout item made it a cut above last year's collaboration.
The double-layer anorak, a two-layer jacket with a translucent outer and removable fleece jacket beneath is experimental, technical, and has just enough branding without being too in-your-face — three things you want from a C.P. Company and Palace collaboration.
Carhartt WIP x sacai
When sacai previewed its FW23 collection with a huge amount of tasty collaborations back in January, the stage was set for a big year of collabs. And the Japanese brand's Carhartt WIP creations were undoubtedly the best of the bunch, transforming the heritage workwear brand's signature outerwear into knit jackets and hybrid coats that're surprisingly fashion-forward for a brand better known for timeless functionality.
Carhartt WIP releases its fair share of collaborations but rarely does its long history in workwear get dissected with such an experimental eye as that of Sacai's creative director Chitose Abe.
Wales Bonner x adidas
With every collection that Wales Bonner and adidas release, the hype around their collaborations increase. And rightly so, as each set of sneakers and thematic apparel fuses storytelling for important topics (such as the vibrant culture of Burkina Faso or the success of Ethiopian runners) with excellent product that's managed to spearhead one of the biggest sneaker trends currently going.
In 2023, we got treated to two new collections filled with everything Wales Bonner and adidas have perfected over their collaborative hot streak: retro-leaning sportswear, lots of crocheted detailing, and (of course) a selection of Sambas accented with textured uppers.
Trying to pick between the two collections is not easy but, if you held a gun to my head, I'd have to choose the summer release. The silver Samba sneakers with crochet detailing might just be the sneaker of the year and the scenic campaign celebrating Jamaican style topped it all off.
Gentle Monster x D’Heygere
Best niche collaboration? That goes to Gentle Monster and D’Heygere.
Bringing together both brands' expertise — fashion-first eyewear for Gentle Monster, experimental accessories for D'Heygere — the two created three glasses with clever notches that allow the wearer to customize their jewelry-inspired decorations that dangle on the frames' arms.
Incorporating different styles of bejeweled earrings and rings into the glasses, the entire collaboration was lavish, perfectly OTT, and tailormade to be a smash hit with Y2K-obsessed Gen Z.
LOEWE x Howl's Moving Castle
The third and (unfortunately) final collaboration between LOEWE and Studio Ghibli was released early this year. Following up its Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro collections (which both sold out almost instantly), LOEWE's last team-up with the storied Japanese animation house focused on the classic Howl's Moving Castle.
Scenes and characters from the award-winning animated film, which was written and directed by legendary Studio Ghibli boss Hayao Miyazaki, were used to create a huge range of LOEWE pieces.
Finding innovative ways to incorporate the characters, LOEWE produced fluffy beanies with eyes made to look like the character Calcifer and a bag shaped like Heen — Suliman's loyal, old dog. It was the best example of a fun, whimsical collab done right.
Sandy Liang x Salomon
This year, fashion had a strange obsession with Pokémon. It felt like collections themed around the Japanese media franchise were coming from every direction — but the best of the lot isn't even an official one.
Sandy Liang started the year with a Salomon collaboration that took its inspiration from the Pokemon characters Jigglypuff and Whimsicott. This informed the light pink color of Liang's Salomon XT-6 Expanse and a cream slip-on RX Moc.
Salomon is known for producing some of the best colorways in the sneaker space and Sandy Liang managed to play the brand at its own game with these two sneakers. An impressive feat.
Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama
Louis Vuitton's Yayoi Kusama collaboration was difficult to miss at the start of this year.
Following up on their popular 2012 collaboration, LV and Kusama delivered spotty clothing and accessories galore with an extensive 450-plus items. But the reason that it was such a significant collaboration in 2023 goes beyond the designs or the popularity of their past link-up: instead, it had a lot to do with the marketing of the collection.
A huge blow-up version of the Japanese artist was placed towering over the French house's shop in Paris, meanwhile, other stores were blessed by the presence of freakishly life-like, robotic statues of the artist. And the online activations were similarly in-your-face.
The collaboration might have gotten mixed reviews but the scale of the marketing was objectively impressive
Balenciaga x Erewhon
For its Pre-Fall 2024 show, Balenciaga was back to its old ways. After creative director Demna promised at the start of the year that the brand would focus on, "making quality clothes — not making image or buzz," it began doing exactly that. But only kinda.
The show was Demna's ode to Los Angeles, held in the middle of a street with a view of the Hollywood sign, and included a collaboration with hyper-expensive LA-based grocer Erewhon.
Models walked the runway with co-branded Erewhon x Balenciaga shopping bags, which Kim Kardashian toted to the show herself. The whole collection seemed to be poking fun at the idea of the L.A. lifestyle through Demna's typically post-ironic lens and no item did it better than the Erewhon bags. Love it or hate it, Balenciaga got us all talking (again).
Crocs x Levi's x Proleta Re Art
Crocs x Levi's was in the running to be one of the best collaborations of the year as soon as it was announced. But when they got Proleta Re Art involved, it was a no-brainer for this list.
The Tokyo-based designer uses traditional Japanese techniques, like boro patching and sashiko stitching, to create his handmade denim creations which have been worn by the likes of A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar. For a limited run of 60 Crocs clogs, Proleta Re Art used deadstock Levi's denim, decorated it with his distinct finish, and added it to the top of the shoes.
The only downside is that, in a list of very difficult collaborations to buy, this one was the hardest to get your hands on.
