Following on from 2022’s crazy collab overload, 2023 has started off strong already. After a decade apart, Louis Vuitton has been reunited with the Japanese “Princess of Polka Dots” Yayoi Kusama; the trending collaboration will launch worldwide this Friday, January 6.
Other fashion highlights of the week include stained glass artist Kerbi Urbanowski’s second project with Los Angeles-based arts and design collective Brain Dead, and Marni’s upcoming collection with the workwear-led brand Carhartt Wip, marking the Italian luxury label’s continued embrace of streetwear.
Check out the below for our verdict on each of this week’s global brand collaboration spotlights. Subscribe here to receive these weekly news bites straight to your inbox.
BRAIN DEAD X KERBI URBANOWSKI#
DATE:#
January 3
TREND:#
Fashion x Art
THE VERDICT:#
Kicking off the year with hypebeast homeware, Brain Dead has followed up on the success of its Kerbi Urbanowski glass clocks of 2021. The limited-edition aspect of these handmade lamps makes them covetable among consumers, as each design is one of a kind.
Across the art and design collective's social media platforms, consumers are loving the new drop. For stained glass artist Kerbi Urbanowski, the partnership helps build connections to the loyal followers of Brain Dead, whereas for the Brain Dead, in return, it's a chance to expand its product categories with class.
LOUIS VUITTON X YAYOI KUSAMA#
DATE:#
January 1 in China & Japan, and January 6 worldwide
TREND:#
Fashion x Art
THE VERDICT:#
We’re calling it: Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama is the collaboration of the year. So far, the #LVxYayoiKusama hashtag has an estimated reach of 11 million, with 39k organic posts about the capsule, despite not having yet launched beyond China and Japan.
Over in China, the hashtag has a whopping 8.6 million Weibo views on the day of writing this alone. However, responses are mixed thus far. Chinese consumers have been quick to post their purchases online. Interestingly, the campaign has been kept extremely simple and minimalist, perhaps to appeal to a global market, featuring a supermodel cast that includes Bella Hadid and Feifei Sun.
CARHARTT WIP X MARNI#
DATE:#
January 14
TREND:#
Luxury x Streetwear
THE VERDICT:#
The luxury-streetwear crossover trend is starting strong in 2023, with Carhartt Wip and Italian luxury label Marni paving the way. Having worked with Uniqlo and Veja in 2022, Marni continues to tap into more accessible brands, connecting to a younger, and overall more mainstream, demographic.
This collection places Marni's signature prints further into the streetwear sphere, which will invite consumers to view it from a fresh perspective. Like just about every luxury brand, entering the streetwear space seems to be the priority for reliable sales right now.
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