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Collaborations have been around forever. Real will always recognize real, and people want to work with their friends, or at least folks with a similar outlook and mindset. From music to clothing, creative minds coming together usually results in some pretty dope stuff.
But similar to how musical collaborations sometimes don't pan out, fashion collaborations are equally tricky to master. For one, it has to make complete sense or be so off-the-wall that no one would ever see it coming. The designs have to take both brands to a level neither could achieve on its own, or utilize the power of branding to flip the script on meaning and perception—i.e., is a luxury brand still luxury if it works with a streetwear label? Is sportswear still meant to perform if it's made by a designer?
Granted, no other era has cared about the collabo more than the post-Hypebeast Internet culture. Back in the day, Malcolm McLaren's screenprinting of Seditionaries tees with Vivienne Westwood was a collaboration for sure—just not in the way we think of it today. Same goes for early Stussy collabos done with record labels like Tommy Boy. We define a "fashion collaboration" as a whole new brand or collection done by two (or more) separate entities (company, brand, store, or designer). Special make-ups done by a manufacturer like Alden or Gitman Vintage don't count—that isn't a collaboration, that's design by numbers.
With that in mind, prepare to argue to your heart's content about who should have made the cut. These are The 30 Best Fashion Collaborations of All Time.
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30. Palace x Umbro
Year It First Dropped: 2012
UK skateboard brand Palace gained quick street cred for its impossible-triangle logo and high-fashion parody tees, combined with vintage-style skate videos and generally being too cool for school. Their collaboration with Umbro showed that the skate brand was much more than meets the eye. Designed after the England soccer kit from the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the Umbro jerseys have a significance for rowdy football fans, while items like the Trill Tops and Anthem Jackets just look damn cool to anyone else who isn't in the know.
29. The Hundreds x Disney
Year It Dropped: 2008
Disney has long figured into the graphic realm of the streetwear world. After all, we're all kids at heart right? Remember how ubiquitous Mickey Mouse clothes were in the '80s? What's surprising about this collaboration is that Disney was down to officially endorse it. Bobby Hundreds recounted the experience and intellectual hoops he had to jump through in order to make it happen, and the fact that it did showed that streetwear had become mainstream. Did The Hundreds sell out? No, not at all, it was done in small runs (200 of each character) and the graphics, reinterpretations of Peter Pan's Lost Boys as California juvenile delinquents, looked cool. Even the accompanying caps meant to pay homage to Peter Pan's feathered hat and Captain Hook were covetable too. But it still marked a shift from streetwear as a rebellious movement to legitimate business entity—and growing up sucks.
28. Barbour x To Ki To
Year It First Dropped: 2009
Designer Tokihito Yoshida cut his teeth working for companies like Blades of Savile Row before establishing his own brand, To Ki To, in 1997. Known for the technical detail that goes into his garments, he was a natural fit to reinterpret Barbour's waxed and waterproof jackets. Digging into Barbour's archive (which goes all the way back to 1908), Yoshida's initial collection included coats whose initial purposes ranged from horse riding to motorcycle racing, with features like detachable hoods and vests, storm skirts, and map pockets. There was even a trench coat you could button into itself to form a pair of water-resistant "culottes" at the bottom.
27. Supreme x Hanes
Year It First Dropped: 2009
Supreme started making branded Hanes gear in 2009, from tank tops, to basic white tees, and other colored crewnecks. What's ingenious about these is the tiny box logo in the bottom left corner is pretty much indistinguishable to most people. Like the embroidered Polo horse on an otherwise plain T-shirt, it's a subtle signifier of style that has nothing to do with quality, but everything to do with branding. This collabo is a perfect example of how brand association can transform the most mundane gear into something worth coveting, and also the fact that Supreme can pretty much sell anything it wants.
26. Mark McNairy x Timberland
Year It First Dropped: 2012
These days, it seems doing a collaboration with Mark McNairy is the new getting knighted. But we do have McNasty to thank for continuing to blur the line between the fashion and streetwear worlds. Before he dropped the Bee Line for Billionaire Boys Club collection with Pharrell, McNairy was already making moves with another well-known hip-hop icon: The Timberland boot. His 2012 collabo reimagined the 6-inch wheat boot with a pop of color at the heel and a luxe suede upper. While the equally classic "bread and broccoli" Field Boot got a dose of camouflage pattern, another of McNairy's signatures. Known for his quirky designs, the zippable Radler Trail Camper Flats done up in colors similar brick-soled bucks paid homage to the designer's rebel prep sensibilities.
25. Alife x Wu-Tang Clan
Year It First Dropped: 2006
In 2006, the Wu-Tang Clan were dropping a slew of solo albums but were more or less reunited since 2004. Oli "POWER" Grant, the Wu's manager and the brains behind Wu-Wear decided to gauge the market to see how strong the Wu-Tang Clan's brand was. In his words, at the time there was "no authentic Wu product on the market for a while. It would first serve as a barometer for where we would go with the brand, and it was a great marketing tool which got the people fired up and looking around for what would come next." He chose Alife because he felt working with them was a good fit, and like many other brands, had also been influenced and inspired by Wu-Tang. 2006's debut collection sold out quick, and other memorable items followed suit, like the black and yellow Everybody Hi sneakers (and matching "A Wu-Tang Life" shirt) in 2009, and a "R.I.P. ODB" varsity jacket.
24. Moncler V (Moncler x visvim)
Year It First Dropped: 2010
Italian sportswear company Moncler got with visvim's Hiroki Nakamura for Moncler V, a collection that took elements of mountaineering and hiking style and infused it with a bit of playfulness in the form of pom beanies, bright jackets, and backpacks that toed the line between pragmatic and fashion-forward. The leather mountain boots were also not to be missed, since pretty much any footwear Nakamura designs is next level by default. His painstaking attention to detail and vintage inspiration really showed in the debut collection for Fall/Winter 2010. It's a shame this collabo only went on for a year.
23. Lanvin x Acne
Year It First Dropped: 2008
It's crazy when two fashion brands work together, let alone ones with such dedicated followings. Swedish Acne Studios teaming up with French fashion house Lanvin seemed totally random, but when lookbooks started to leak, it made a little more sense. Known for their denim, Acne put their "jeanius" together with Lanvin's designers, who turned out a subtly cool, indigo-inspired co-ed collection that contained everything from suiting to denim high-top sneakers. The collaboration was so successful they kept doing it until 2011.
22. Band of Outsiders x Sperry Topsider
Year It First Dropped: 2008
Band of Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg made a name for himself by taking prep staples and running them through a Wes Anderson-like filter. His clothes were distinctly American, but nevertheless hip without being overly pretentious. They were also notorious for possessing an unforgiving slim fit. In 2008, neo-prep was experiencing a huge revival, and Sternberg's take on the boat shoe was a brilliantly executed footwear collaboration between an old purveyor of prep and the new popular kid. Boat shoes never went out of style, but this was the moment they became a "fashion item," and thus, worthy of paying $300 for them.
21. Eddie Bauer x Nigel Cabourn
Year It First Dropped: 2011
Founded in Seattle in 1920, Eddie Bauer is likely remembered more for its custom Ford Explorers than hardy outdoor gear. But jackets like the Skyliner and the B-9 Flight Parka kept the men of yesteryear from freezing to death. Bauer's rich heritage sounds like the fodder Nigel Cabourn's dreams are made off. A total nut about vintage gear, the British designer is known for his exacting attention-to-detail and high standards in construction, which is why the Canadian-made capsule collection he did for Eddie Bauer was well, so expensive. Quality has its price though, and if anyone knows that, it's Nigel Cabourn.
20. Gyakusou (Nike Sportswear x Undercover)
Year It First Dropped: 2010
Although GYAKUSOU can literally be translated as "running in the wrong direction," it was more than few steps in the right one. Nike has always prided itself on placing the athlete first, but still nailing down the aesthetics. Considering the guy in charge of the design aspect was UNDERCOVER's Jun Takahashi, it wasn't surprising that the initial collection, which was geared towards long distance runners who had to deal with changing climates, featured everything from windbreakers to moisture wicking baselayers. We should also note that GYAKUSOU was on that "tights under shorts" trend long before these style icons were. Two years before the FuelBand made its debut, simply trying on the slim-cut, well-made GYAKUSOU gear and sneakers was enough to motivate you to go for a run, Fuelpoints be damned.
19. Moncler Gamme Bleu (Thom Browne x Moncler)
Year It First Dropped: 2009
Moncler is the kind of company that seems to recognize great talent. Maybe that's why they got menswear prodigy Thom Browne to redefine sportswear. For his 2009 debut with Moncler Gamme Bleu, the man who brought us shrunken suits and grosgrain-placketed oxford shirts gave us the down-filled sportcoat and trousers. Charcoal gray trousers were given a side zip detail you'd likely see on a pair of snowboard pants, gray camo blazers contrasted with solid nylon, and there was even a down-filled tuxedo jacket. Showmanship has always been one of Browne's strong suits, and Moncler Gamme Bleu usually delivers on that front: For Spring/Summer 2011, they presented their models as cyclists making speedy rounds on fixed-gear bicycles in a velodrome.
18. A.P.C. x Carhartt
Year It First Dropped: 2010
Despite being roughly 99 years its senior, Carhartt and A.P.C. are actually kindred spirits. The former a tried-and-true workwear brand that picked up a following among drug dealers, skaters, and youth in rebellion who wanted hard-wearing, affordable clothes, and the latter a testament to understated French coolness and je ne sais quoi. The collabo's logo was cleverly done, tacking the Carhartt "C" onto the end of A.P.C.'s sans serif typeface—from the start, you knew something was different, but it nevertheless felt right. The debut collection fused Japanese fabrics and slim cuts with familiar staples like duck canvas chore jackets, pocket tees, and yoked Western shirts, even the Carhartt beanie got infused with an appropriately French nautical stripe motif.
17. Comme des Garçons for H&M
Year It Dropped: 2008
Comme des Garçons really set the bar for H&M's guest designer collections. It proved how good they could be, and how designer brands could still convey a vision and aesthetic at a lower price point. The menswear is arguably the best one out of all of H&M's guest designers, the button-downs are dope, and they even managed to make a wallet. Although it wasn't as hyped as the Versace collection, it gave all the future guest designers something to measure up to, and unfortunately, most of them weren't even half as good.
16. Supreme x Neighborhood
Year It First Dropped: 2006
Shinsuke Takizawa opened the NEIGHBORHOOD store in 1994 on Harajuku's Cat Street—where you'd be sure to spot well-dressed youth out and about. Inspired by biker culture and hard-wearing garments like leather jackets and denim, NEIGHBORHOOD's clothes also took inspirations from surplus and outdoor gear. It's a story similar to James Jebbia's Supreme, also opened in 1994, albeit on a grimy Lafayette Street in a New York that was more rough around the edges. These kindred spirits came together for the first time in 2006, creating instant classics like the box logo tee with a skull and crossed swords above it, murdered-out baseball jackets with killer tonal embroidery, and broken-in selvedge jeans with a Yankee logo flip on the back pockets. The story told itself, and the clothes lent to that mythology without spelling it out for you.
15. Stussy 30th Anniversary "XXX" T-Shirts
Year It First Dropped: 2010
For its 30th anniversary, Stussy pulled out all the stops for the collabo to end all collabos. Then-creative director Paul Mittleman did the impossible with the "XXX" collection, printing limited-edition tees with pretty much everyone. Drawing on Stussy's heritage and global presence, it was able to get brands and artists like Supreme, NEIGHBORHOOD, Futura, HUF, The Hideout, Claw, and many, many others involved. Released over the course of summer 2010, it was a truly epic way to celebrate 30 years in the business.
14. Black Fleece (Thom Browne x Brooks Brothers)
Year It First Dropped: 2007
When Brooks Brothers enlisted Thom Browne to helm a high-end menswear collection for the storied American brand, it cemented Browne's place as the designer who redefined men's clothing for the modern era. Gone were the usual sizes of small, medium, and large—instead they were replaced with numbers like BB0, BB1, and BB2, similar to Browne's own line. Glenplaid suits, morning coats, and cropped khaki mac jackets were accented with cropped pants and patriotic repp stripe ties. The collection proved sucessful enough that a standalone Black Fleece store opened in New York City just two years after its debut in Brooks Brothers stores.
13. Kanye West x Louis Vuitton
Year It First Dropped: 2009
2009 was the year Kanye West went from sneakerhead to sneaker head. As if dropping the Air Yeezy wasn't enough, his footwear line for Louis Vuitton also hit LV stores in summer of 2009. Each model is named after a member of Yeezy's entourage: The Don, The Jasper, and The Mr. Hudson, and he worked closely with Vuitton shoe director Fabrizio Vitti to make sure everything was on point. It was absolutely crazy that the French fashion house would just let a rapper come in like that and drop a line, but it also showed that Kanye West was a game changer in the world of style.
12. Jeremy Scott x adidas ObyO
Year It First Dropped: 2008
Jeremy Scott's fearlessness as a designer negates anything every hater says about him. The dude got people wearing wings and stuffed animals on their sneakers, so he's definitely doing something right. The 2008 debut of his line for adidas Originals by Originals showed how Scott won't let big companies or current trends stand in the way of his vision, whether it includes tuxedo-inspired track jackets, sequined bombers, or irridescent windbreakers. Before A$AP Rocky was thinking about clothes getting weirder, Jeremy Scott was already out here making leopard hoodies with tails, heads, and claws.
11. F.C.R.B Collection (SOPHNET x Nike)
Year It First Dropped: 1999
F.C.R.B. stands for "Football Club Real Bristol," which is ironic because it's not real at all. Designer Hirofumi Kiyonaga created the concept of an imaginary soccer team, F.C. Real Bristol, in 1999, and the products are designed around the fictional players on the team. Nike was down to "sponsor" this team, and makes the gear designed by Kiyonaga. Darren Romanelli is a frequent collaborator with F.C.R.B., and reconstructed T-shirts, polos, and jackets in his signature style for some collections since its inception. Additionally, in 2004 SOPH shop designer and architect Nobuo Araki used the concept of a F.C.R.B. stadium to examine how to build an Earth-friendly, futuristic soccer stadium—taking F.C.R.B. beyond the realm of clothing and into ecology.
10. Levi's x Filson
Year It First Dropped: 2010
Years from now, people may look at the crux of the Americana movement and cite this collaboration as an example of "the golden age." It made perfect sense, its products will stand the test of time and trends, but at the same time it represents a certain era of when all of this stuff wasn't just stylish and durable, but also the end-all be-all of coolness.
9. Supreme x Comme des Garçons SHIRT
Year It First Dropped: 2012
One of 2012's best collaborations wasn't just about the polka dots, railroad stripe motifs, and reversed purple box logos. It was also about how high Supreme's cachet had risen, that it was able to work with high fashion brands in a way that wasn't corny and actually reflected the integrity and aesthetic of everyone involved.
8. Versace x H&M
Year It First Dropped: 2011
H&M followed up their Lanvin collaboration with a delightfully loud capsule collection with Versace. Given the high end label's storied history in hip-hop culture, it wasn't surprising to see the exotic-sleeved varsity end up on a rapper. Except, the rapper it was seen on most prominently was Kanye West—and it hadn't even come out yet! Suffice it to say, that only served to further drive the hype for this collection, and that particular piece can be had for astronomical prices on the aftermarket. That isn't to say the rest of the collection isn't worth looking at. On the contrary, it manages to balance Versace's penchant for balls-to-the-wall "fashion with a capital F" craziness with classy pieces like tuxedo jackets, tailored trousers, and awesome pleated shorts with a beaded side stripe.
7. Stussy x GShock
Year It First Dropped: 1997
There could be an entire list of GShock collaborations with streetwear brands alone, but this one pioneered them all. In an era before everyone was collaborating with everyone, Stussy continued to pave the way with this exclusive DW-6900 watch done with Casio Japan. It's been revisited a few times since its inital (and very, very limited) launch in 1997, but the original remains not only a collector's item, but also signified the beginning of a new era for streetwear.
6. Marvel x BAPE
Year It First Dropped: 2005
From the patent leather uppers with the texture of a fresh action figure, to the blister card packaging that emulated toys, this collaboration marked the beginning of when everyone really started hating hypebeasts. The Air Force 1-inspired silhouette of the BAPEstas spoke to guys with an eye for context, while the Marvel characters appealed to everyone's inner fanboy. There was also a series of accompanying T-shirts, but the all-over print hoodie woudln't exist until BAPE x Marvel was revisited last year. Yet perhaps the most important thing this collabo pointed out is that no matter what you geek about—comics or clothes—you're still a nerd, nerds.
5. Cole Haan x Nike x FRAGMENT Lunargrand
Year It First Dropped: 2012
For years, companies have tried (and failed) to make a hybrid sneaker/dress shoe. Chicago's Cole Haan had been doing it well since 2000, incorporating Nike Air technology into loafers, brogues, and boots, but it did so surreptitiously—hiding all the tech underneath. When they had the bright idea to incorporate a Lunar sole on a dress shoe upper, they created the perfect balance of sneakerhead and menswear nerd. The Lunargrand Wingtip was the footwear equivalent of the guy who wears a perfectly-fitting suit with statement sneakers—classy yet self-aware, but definitely not overdone. And when you add a third cook in the kitchen, Hiroshi Fujiwara's FRAGMENT design, they went from awesome innovation to must-have item. Bright contrast soles were already having a moment, so combining them with lesser seen silhouettes like kiltie loafers and saddle shoes and luxe textures like pebbled leather not only made them cooler, it made them even more covetable.
4. Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton
Year It First Dropped: 2002
The first time Murakami and Louis Vuitton worked together, it was on a 2002 series of bags featuring his painted artwork over familar brown Louis Vuitton monogram canvas bags. It wasn't until 2008 that Murakami flexed his design muscle and Monogramouflage Collection that the game really changed. While female LV fans flipped for the multicolor monogram pattern, Murakami's military-inspired take on the monogram canvas went down in hypebeast history. Rappers that could afford it—like Kanye West—copped backpacks and luggage instantly. It brought a new masculine, streetwear-like relevance to the 158 year-old brand, and whether the artist meant to or not, ushered in the era of "luxury rap."
3. KAWS x OriginalFake
Year It First Dropped: 2006
Brian Donnelly, better known as KAWS, was a graffiti writer who came into prominence for subverting ads in New York, but his work in the urban vinyl designer toy movement in the late '90s, specifically involving his X-eyed, bone-headed "Companion" character, garnered him a huge Japanese fanbase. What followed were collaborations with the likes of A Bathing Ape, Undercover, and Medicom, who also owned prominent streetwear label OriginalFake. KAWS' work with OF resulted in some of the most memorable graphics of the mid-2000s era of streetwear, everything from the severed arms with the X hands, the "Chompers" teeth motif, and a variety of pop culture flips on "Companion," from Astro Boy to the Michelin Man, to Boba Fett. Although the collabo draws to a close in May 2013, it will always be a testament to the glory days of graphic tees and hoodies.
2. +J (Uniqlo x Jil Sander)
Year It First Dropped: 2009
Iconic minimalist designer Jil Sander made a name for herself with slim cuts and precise tailoring. Perhaps then, it isn't too surprising that when she decided to come out of retirement in the fashion world, it was to design for uber-minimalist retailer Uniqlo. Their restrained approach to clothing and branding fell in line with Sander's body of work, and the end result wasn't a diffusion collection at all—it felt more like an ambitious project meant to create the modern uniform for anyone. And really, that's what a legend like Jil Sander strived for.
1. Y-3 (Yohji Yamamoto x adidas)
Year It First Dropped: 2003
In 2003, adidas asked legendary Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto to create a pair of sneakers. Limited to 50,000 pairs worldwide, they sold out in no time. That led to the creation of Y-3, a whole new brand where Yamamoto was the creative director. The Y stood for the designer of course, and the 3 represented adidas' three-stripe logo. The aim of this project was to blur the line between athletic wear and fashion, and the debut collection all contained some variation of adidas' trademark stripes. Of course, it was so successful that Y-3 is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary.