The Reasons Brand Collaborations Aren’t Slowing Down in 2020

When it comes to designer collaborations, there’s no denying that some collections are bestowed on the world like gifts. Then there are the brand collaborations, like the recent KFC x Crocs collab, that crawl out of the darkest corners of the fashion industry. 

But poorly executed collaborations aside, why is it that fashion houses and household names like Disney and Casper are joining forces to create memorable collections in drones? The answer is simple - people will always buy them.

Brand Collaborations Always Get Attention

It doesn’t matter which cartoon anniversary, movie release, or brand revival fuels a designer or brand collaboration, people will always spend the money to get their hands on unique items. Whether for the novelty of owning a controversial piece or to legitimately add to a growing collection, it’s human nature to consume. 

Gucci x Disney Chinese New Year Campaign, courtesy of Gucci

This is the essence that keeps collaborations alive - both the incredible and those that had no business ever existing (we’re looking at you, Crocs). The more people buy collaborative pieces, no matter how ill-fated or short-lived, the more power brands have continue releasing them. 

Brand Collaborations are Easy Money

For obvious reasons, brands are eager to collect on the fast cash and exposure businesses know a collaboration will bring. There’s also the extreme success of the Louis Vuitton x Supreme collection, also known as one of the best collaborations ever, which debuted in Fall / Winter 2017. The LVxSupreme collab fused high fashion and streetwear into a collection that’s appreciated to three times its original retail price.

We’ve also seen a lot of success from crossover collaborations which bring together high fashion and fast fashion, including the 2004 H&M x Karl Lagerfeld collection which sold out in minutes.

Each year since H&M’s first collaboration, they joined forces with some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses. Collaborations with Alexander Wang, Kenzo, and Balmain have all brought together brand advocates to buy every last piece these collections had available.

Brand Collaborations Attract Superfans

Successful brands have loyal followings, so when two come together - such as for the Disney / Gucci or Casper / Sandro capsule collections - it merges unique fanbases into one luxury flock of shoppers looking to drop major cash on limited edition pieces.

Sweater from Sandro x Casper Limited Edition Capsule Collection

Not every limited edition collection is going to resonate, but the attention is does attract will be from a crowd that’s a superfan of both names involved. Take the latest Dior x Rimowa capsule where luxury meets luggage. One of the key pieces from the collection is a $2,400 aluminum crossbody bag which nods to the classic Rimowa suitcase. Both Dior and Rimowa are completely independent, but when they came together for their Paris Fashion Week collection, Dior and Rimowa followers swooned.

Brand Collaborations Aren’t Going Anywhere

Despite the bad rap that can come from unruly crossover collections, brand collaborations can be done well and are done so often. From the archives of Louis Vuitton to the current collections of Gucci and Dior, there’s a limited edition capsule collection out there for everyone. And with the extreme profitability and high exposure that collaborations experience, there’s no sign of cross pollinated collections stopping anytime soon.