Collaboration or Consumer Conspiracy?

The Endless Need for Clout

In the search for a fresh image, collaborations happen all the time in the fashion world. When set between fashion brands, such as Adidas and Gucci collaborating in 2022, the collection can bring a new look and widen the creativity behind the producta normal pair of Adidas trainers looks completely removed from products like the collaboration’s pink velvet wedges. Of course, a usual pair of Adidas trainers marks up £120, but the cheapest item on their Gucci collection is a pair of socks selling for £155. Collaborations can show creativity - Jimmy Choo and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon incorporated the bright colours, tight silhouettes and platforms in the design of their shoes, in a manner that kept true to the elegant style of the usual Choo shoes. However, some seem to be creating these products for shock value, or for a chance to capitalise off another’s profit, but where does that leave its targetthe customer?

Collaborations dependency on the ‘clout’ and hype around them does not always come across as a positive either. The sports-wear brand Nike did an unexpected collaboration with the jewellery house Tiffany & Co., which created a lot of buzz; the mash up was expected to be a close mash up of dainty and sporty, with a few online posts speculating on the design through Artificial Intelligence. When the actual design was posted, twitter user @MUGLERMIND compared the expectations and the reality, and most users seemed to disagree with the AIgenerated designs, but not defending the actual collaboration. The shoes come in all black, with a piece of Tiffany sterling silver on the back, and a Tiffany blue tick, but the combination did not account for its sporty audience, and the popularity of the Tiffany blue, outside of the company’s name.

Walking into Primark last summer and seeing blue tracksuits covered in the Greggs logo was best defined as ‘confusing’ and a clothing equivalent of a ‘jump scare’. While the shock value definitely helped them sell -alike the Lidl trainers that rolled out in 2021- there is something to appreciate about the strange collaboration. Primark and Greggs are both known for their affordable pricing and fill the same need for something cheap that makes up for its quality in how convenient it is. Primark’s main forte is not high fashion, so a collaboration that relies on its quirkiness and chance to go viral will have the highest chances of succeeding. There have been stranger collaborations in the past, which through a certain lens actually cater to their target customer. In 2016, skate-brand Huf did a collaboration with Spam- yes, the canned meat. Some of their customers seemed to dislike the concept, claiming they were trying too hard to appeal to the ‘hype-beast’ fashion of the time, and ripping off rival brand Supreme. Skate and street wear has always been unusual and ironic, but the consumers seemed to see through this one, questioning whether the brand was simply catering to trends rather than its target audience.

These collaborations did mainly succeed in making the round, having countless videos on TikTok dedicated to deciding whether the products are worth it, or debating their appeal. Most seem to happen for the hype, often ignoring their main market, but as long as over-priced collaborations circulate social media, there will be no financial reason for them to stop.

words by: Francesca Ionescu design by: Ananya Ranjit