The Benefits of Fashion Designer Collaborations

Article in brief: The writer states the benefits of collaboration for buyers and sellers.

One of the perks of modern fashion is collaboration. As the late American poet Mattie Stepanek said: “Unity is strength…when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” Stepanek’s words had every bit of truth in them, as collaborations are mostly celebrated for their success.

Over the past decade, collaborations between high street stores and designer brands have been taking place in full force, often causing frenzy. The most fascinating part about collaborations though, is what results from them. These certain collaborations always benefit the sellers, and the buyers, which is why they receive much anticipation.

It is every woman’s dream come true when a high street store announces its collaboration with a high-end brand, one that is known for its astounding prices. When such announcements are made, shoppers would go to extensive degrees to get their hands on several pieces of that collection. Often, they would arrive on the day of the launch long before the store’s opening time, and in other cases, they would resort to camping out. Another way to guarantee they would get to tick off everything on their wish list.

For example, on the day of the Lanvin Hearts H&M launch in the UK, crowds were standing outside the store since 5:30 am, hoping to grab an applique shirt or a mesh blouse. Although buyers were already wearing wristbands (to maintain organization) and had an allotted time of fifteen minutes to shop, chaos erupted among the crowds. It was rumored that during this turmoil a fellow customer was fatally wounded, although no one can say for sure. Despite that, the limits that people will go to for these purchases are indeed dire. Clothes sell out immediately, in a mere hour.

One part of the collaborations that interest me the most, are the campaigns and teasers. During the time spanning between the announcement and the day of the launch, high street stores release campaign images to create more fuss among consumers. Before releasing an official statement, the two parties take on social media to post teasers. In the case of H&M’s upcoming collection with designer Alexander Wang, both posted a photo of two boxing gloves hanging by a chain, which got people reeling. Myself being a great admirer of Wang, I cannot wait until the collection is unveiled in November.

With other campaigns, like Altuzarra for Target, a behind-the-scenes video has been posted on Style.com, giving audiences a sneak peek of the collection. The designer spoke about the collection stating: “I think it has less to do with how old you are and more about the state of mind”. Like most campaigns, Altuzarra chose American model Eva Herzigova to front the campaign. This type of move increases audience interest, since seeing the clothes exhibited on a well-known model can keep consumers hooked.

The same can be said for Isabel Marant’s collection for H&M, who chose a variety of models and figures popular in the industry to model the clothes. Marant, who already has a loyal following, secured the deal with a launch party in Paris. Actresses dressed top-to-toe Isabel Marant for H&M caught the eye of photographers, which added more fuel to the fire. The result? A 21% increase in revenue for H&M- making it one of the most successful collaborations yet.

Truth be told, the secret of success behind these collaborations is simply giving consumers clothes from their favorite designer at a lower price. Instead of buying a blouse that costs AED 1000+ from the same designer, consumers have the chance to get their hands on a similar model that retails sell for AED 200. After all, clothes that come in four digits tend to sit in stores longer than clothes that cost a digit less.