The last few years saw a revolutionary shift in fashion steering towards commerciality, which led many to believe that even creative geniuses would’ve to eventually bow down to the hands that fed them — coughs, Kering and LVMH — or the risk of being forcibly removed from their posts.
But amidst that chaos a new aesthetic that could potentially sum up this decade grew more prominent, endorsed by luxury brands and style icons on the street. They take several names: Hypebeast, Normcore, Athleisure. In order to speak the language of the masses, brands are increasingly doing capsule collections under the guise of collaborative efforts to mash two or more auras which hopefully generate enough hype through the weeks these limited-edition pieces go on sale.
We’ve raved enough about JW Anderson for Uniqlo and Erdem x H&M‘s teamwork in recent months, and every brand from Stuart Weitzman to Uggs and Converse to Le Specs have had their fair share of fame spotlighting their collaborations, but our top jaw-dropper has to go to Louis Vuitton x Supreme.
If you don’t believe that 2017’s been the year of fashion collaborations, just take a look at some of its highlights and reconsider.
Vetements x Champion
Vetements x Champion in Progress Hoodie With Tape in Black, $1028.30 on FORWARD by Elyse Walker
Everyone’s ripping out their dusty Fila and Kappa tracksuits as a nod to this timely moneyed transaction between Vetements of Demna Gvasalia fame and Champion of Father Time fame. We know Vetements for its visually jarring clothes that often teeter on the edge of offensive; just look up its FW18 collection that featured street-cast stereotypes dressed as dopey caricatures of their appearances.
This, however, is conceptually bizarre: a Champion hoodie on Farfetch would set you back $156 whereas a Vetements x Champion one would set you back six times more. The upside is that you’re wearing all the trends of the year, namely vintage, sportswear, logos, slouchiness, subversiveness — so perhaps this hoodie’s a bang for your thousand bucks?
In all seriousness, however, Vetements has undoubtedly progressed the fashion conversation surrounding its odd visual appeal, and in accompaniment of similar brands like Gosha Rubchinskiy and Martine Rose have helmed the infiltration of streetwear into the realm of luxury.
Coco Capitán x Gucci
Coco Capitán embroidered sweater $1460, Gucci Coco Capitán logo modal silk shawl $600, Gucci Coco Capitán logo backpack $2618 on Farfetch
We can’t talk about Gucci in 2017 without mentioning its ingenious curation of artist collaborations. Sure, its renovated tremendously on its own thanks to Alessandro Michele who’ve bestowed us with fuzzy dragon-embroidered loafers and wonderful jacquard blazers, but a large part of its hype has been linked to its design partners who’ve come into the house and reinterpreted Gucci in their unique ways.
Imagine a kid scribbled across your once-in-a-lifetime-Gucci-purchase sweater and you were so enraged you almost stabbed the kid to death before realising they’d written something so socially poignant you actually saw the light. Besides poaching Dapper Dan after an infuriating incident of “appreciation” (that’s code for copying) his work and the cookie Gucci Ghost, Coco Capitán’s efforts for the house have definitely left a social imprint on our fashion minds.
Off White x Nike
Ever since Windows opened in Singapore, we’ve been seeing the previously-Cherry-Discotheque goers tightening their already tiny waists in the exaggeratedly long utility belt courtesy of streetwear luxury connoisseur Virgil Abloh. If there’s a right time to do the right thing, Abloh’s Off White is a timely launch in the zeitgeist of athleticism scraping for a dignified leader in the universe of high-end. His monogramed quotation marks and paper binder cross-bodies have been spotted in the camera rolls of fashion photographers everywhere.
Virgil Abloh for Off White x Nike “The Ten”
Of course it’d be hypocritical of Abloh to champion the kids who camp outside the Supreme store for nights to catch its drops to then not actually cater his designs to their spending power, and Nike being universally cool made just the right fit. Similar brands like Adidas and Puma had already by then been swooped by celebrities Kanye West and Rihanna respectively, and it seemed strange that up till this year Nike hadn’t had a booming collaboration with a designer, but hey, there’s always a right time and a right place!
Instagram became a balloting riot, and a series of poor management caused the SNKRS app where the shoes were supposed to be released online crashed. Most of the pairs went to those with large social media followings and a couple of guys with Charlie-Bucket luck, but at least for a pretty sick lineup of kicks we’re glad to see them sold affordably.
NOTE: The last of “The Ten” is a collaboration with Converse featured as the first pair of high-tops in the image above reported to launch early January 2018.
Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons
If there’s a luxury house who knows how to divide and conquer, it’s Louis Vuitton. Kim Jones of NikeLab is to thank for the brand’s team-up with Supreme earlier this year, and helming menswear he’s dedicated sportswear into his collections with punchy graphics and bold iconography. Nicholas Ghesquire on the other hand previously from Balenciaga put straight-up gym shorts on the womenswear runway this SS18, and his incredibly alien-like sneakers have been worn by the likes of spokesman Jayden Smith.
Jeff Koons x Louis Vuitton “Masters” Second Collection
So it’s safe to say Louis Vuitton is one to look out for to shift the trend conversation now. Not only have their own collections impressed the industry press, their controversial “Masters” handbags are sounding the alarms of fashion police everywhere. Jeff Koons who helped Lady Gaga with the art direction of her album ARTPOP is known for his only trick in the hat — bastardising classic paintings into pop culture references.
As you can tell, Jeff Koons has reinvented the classic Vuitton handbags with what looks like appropriated DIY-ed versions of classic artists’ works, topped with his iconic rabbit done into a bag charm and a re-imagination of the LV symbol in his initials, “JK” on the corner of the bags. In an effort to bridge the gap between the exclusivity of classic art and availability, Koons manages to make these works accessible to anyone (who can afford them).
Header Image: Modern Notoriety
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