'Collab Fatigue' Is A Myth, Says New Data From StockX

What happened According to new research from StockX, collaborations have been instrumental in the popularity of today’s highest-performing fashion brands. It’s time to say goodbye to the idea that team-ups are losing their appeal. Among the latest statistics on StockX, it was reported that Yeezy’s Gap partnership helped the label attain four-digit trade growth on the resale site, becoming the fastest-growing apparel group from 2022. Another notable finding: Birkenstock was ranked number one last year and remained in the top five for 2022, reportedly thanks to its releases with Stüssy and Manolo Blahnik. And the headline-grabbing, riot-inducing Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch collaboration is the reason that Swatch has taken the top spot on StockX’s brand ranking. It’s also undeniable that Nike x Off-White, the most popular collab of the decade, contributed to the latter’s positioning on the streetwear scene. The sportswear giant reported a revenue of $46.7 billion (317 billion RMB) for the 2022 financial year — an increase of five percent year-over-year (YoY). The Jing Take Despite rumors of fatigue, the buzz generated from collaborations is having a measurable impact on the overall performance of companies today. True, the glut of co-branded launches has made the space difficult both to navigate and keep up with. But there’s no indication of this where it matters: in the revenue. When analyzing the most successful cases in fashion, the common thread is that they are predominantly streetwear-oriented, along with launches that make high-end products more accessible. For example, Manolo Blahnik x Birkenstock, or Swatch x Omega. The continuous rise of the resale industry has made limited-edition streetwear drops infinitely more sought-after. In 2022, that’s a hype-generating opportunity which any firm is able to tap into — whether they’re a prestigious luxury name such as Goyard or a consumer goods company like Heytea or Meiji Dairy, which recently collaborated with Japanese sportswear maker Mizuno. Of course, nothing lasts forever. When the streetwear popularity fades and resale declines, brand collabs will take a different route. But for now, it’s all about the high-low crossover. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

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'Collab Fatigue' Is A Myth, Says New Data From StockX