2024’s most impactful Chinese brand collaborations

Collaborations remained an effective business strategy across multiple industries in 2024. A year of cult footwear partnerships, collab-heavy anniversary celebrations, and “independent designer x global brand” crossovers. Global players like Adidas Originals and Crocs leveraged the creativity of Chinese independent designers, while domestic beverage brands tapped into niche communities — Heytea led the way with a Brompton partnership, and a TV merchandise drink with hit show Blossoms Shanghai. Streetwear in China also thrived with an abundance of co-branded collections, enabling homegrown labels like Clot and Team Wang to further expand globally. Jackson Wang’s Team Wang, in particular, drilled down on collaborations in 2024, combining forces with the likes of Fila Fusion, Hennessy VSOP, furniture maker Cassina, Joopiter online auction house, and Nigerian-American fashion stylist Mobolaji Dawodu. From novelty viral moves in merchandise (hello Balenciaga x Alipay), to elevated takes on trademark footwear like the new Dingyun Zhang Crocs and the resurrection of a cult classic like Phantaci’s Nike Air Max Grand Piano, here are 15 of the best China brand collaborations of 2024. 1. Dingyun Zhang x Crocs Ex-Yeezy designer and puffer outerwear innovator Dingyun Zhang has ended the year on a high with the collection of “Diffusion” slip-on Crocs set to be released worldwide on Thursday. First debuted in September at Paris Fashion Week (PFW), the otherworldly design is already on resale site Goat for a meteoric price premium. 2. Ruibuilt x Osuga Blending sexual wellness and fashion design, cult emerging label Ruibuilt shocked show attendees by presenting a sex toy collaboration with fellow Chinese brand Osuga at Paris Fashion Week in September — a boost for sex positivity in China. 3. Caroline Hu x Adidas Originals One stand-out from Adidas Originals’ collab-heavy year was Shanghai-based brand Caroline Hu’s second collection with the sportswear giant: the all-frills SL72 and Superstar overtly feminine sneakers were a hit at PFW in September. 4. Moynat Paris x Lucia Liu Renowned China-born stylist Lucia Liu joined French luxury house Moynat Paris for a bow-tastic capsule collection in July, with the brand successfully reaching China’s broad style set. 5. Team Wang x Mobolaji Dawodu Also in July, Jackson Wang’s Team Wang streetwear brand dropped the monochrome signatures for a vibrant “Sparkles — I See the Lights” collection with Nigerian film costume designer and GQ Fashion Director Mobolaji Dawodu. 6. Heytea x Brompton A household beverage brand in China, Heytea leveraged the rising popularity of cycling culture when it partnered with British bike brand Brompton in June. The two names teamed up for three riding clubs in Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou, offering cyclists limited edition cup covers to attach their drinks to their bikes, and stickers. 7. Clot x Lu’u Dan Two Chinese streetwear power players united in May: Clot and Lu’u Dan. Founders Edison Chen and Hung La co-designed a collection combining punk references and streetwear nostalgia, with the lookbook shot in London’s Chinatown. 8. Balenciaga x Alipay Meme fashion king Balenciaga lived up to its name in May, dropping Alipay merchandise. This was one way to reach mainstream Chinese households, being China’s largest payment system. 9. Phantaci x Nike Stirring buzz among China’s devoted hypebeasts, Mando-pop star Jay Chou relaunched an icon in April: the Phantaci x Nike Air Max 1 Grand Piano. Chou’s streetwear brand first launched the sneaker in 2009. 10. Melting Sadness x Valentino Erecting a gigantic chocolate cake sculpture dripping with icing in Nanjing Deji Plaza, buzzy streetwear brand and local retail innovator Melting Sadness collaborated with Valentino on the installation to celebrate the Locò handbag. It ran from April 2 to May 5. 11. Tooos Bakery x Felix Spoon x Niu Technologies Tooos Bakery’s fluffy toast snacks have built a community that Beijing e-scooter company wanted a part of in February. They collaborated on limited-edition toast and artist-designed electric vehicles, with the help of artist Felix Spoon. 12. Prada x Chinese Women’s Football Team One of the most major moves to connect with China came when Prada designed new uniforms for the women’s national football team for a second year, powerfully ushering in the Year of the Dragon. 13. Balmain x Pop Mart Unveiling an army of 999 limited edition Space Mollys, Balmain and Pop Mart came together at the start of the year for an exclusive New Year collection. It set the pace for a year of more fashion collabs from Pop Mart, including with Pronounce, Valentino, and Sandy Liang. 14. Heytea x Blossoms Shanghai Heytea had a fierce year in brand collaboration, with the company also capitalizing on the mainstream popularity of Blossoms Shanghai with a dedicated beverage. Adapted from the Jin Yucheng novel Blossoms and set in 1990s Shanghai, the TV series first aired in December 2023. 15. Li-Ning x Billionaire Boys Club A departure from its usual sportswear focus, Li-Ning landed a hat trick with a third Billionaire Boys Club collection release in January. The dragon BBC logo has been a hit among young Chinese hypebeasts.

2024’s most impactful Chinese brand collaborations

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Published December 10, 2024

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2024’s most impactful Chinese brand collaborations