As a new year of drops gets underway, brand collaborations continue to evolve and captivate consumers in China and beyond.
The first collabs roundup of 2024 explores collections from dynamic collaborations Li-Ning x Billionaire Boys Club, Clot x Tommy Hilfiger, and A.Society x Off God, which represent a fusion of East and West, and high fashion and streetwear.
Each collaboration delivers innovation via diverse cultural exchanges and art.
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Clot x Tommy Hilfiger#
Details: Year of the Dragon collection, January 7 (China), January 11 (global)
Social context: On Weibo, #TommyxClot has 411,000 reads so far, but on Xiaohongshu, it has just 223 at the time of writing.
Verdict:
- Edison Chen, founder of Clot, often takes inspiration from American hip-hop for his own brand. Given Tommy Hilfiger’s association with the subculture, this collaboration makes sense.
- The partnership is a case study in crafting cross-cultural dialogue, and artistic exchanges, for Lunar New Year. The high fashion x streetwear crossover is an ode to Chinese youth culture and classic American cool.
- Debuting in China a few days before the global launch, this collan showcases Tommy Hilfiger’s dedication to the market — in 2Q 2023, Tommy Hilfiger-owner PVH posted 6 percent YoY sales growth, while the group saw sales surge 20 percent YoY in the mainland.
Li-Ning x Billionaire Boys Club#
Details: China Li-Ning Express Shanghai pop-up, January 15
Social context: On Weibo, #BillionaireBoysClub has 2.7 million reads, and Li-Ning’s official hashtag #ZhongguoLiNing (#中国李宁) has 1.1 billion.
Verdict:
- Billionaire Boys Club has joined forces with Li-Ning ahead of the Lunar New Year peak sales period, connecting with streetwear fans via one of the mainland’s leading sports brands.
- Li-Ning offers Billionaire Boys Club major exposure in China, while the Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams-led brand enables Li-Ning to burnish its cult streetwear credibility.
- The pop-up arrives the same week that Williams’ first Louis Vuitton collection is hitting stores, making the creative director a trending topic of the week. The timing is ultra-beneficial for collaborating with Billionaire Boys Club.
A.Society x Offgod#
Details: Morph sunglasses with interchangeable magnetic charms, December 29
Social context: On Instagram, Offgod has 421,000 followers, whereas A.Society has 16,100.
Verdict:
- Offgod, otherwise known as surrealist artist Andrew Mok, partnered with Chinese sunglasses brand A.Society for this collection, motivated by projecting the spirit of today’s generation of digital natives and that influence on fashion design.
- An extension of A.Society’s Vern silhouette, Morph, this is an opportunity for the brand to creatively promote existing products. Furthermore, Offgod’s following is bigger than A.Society’s, therefore offering extended exposure to like-minded consumers.
- Two names known for their disruptively unique design ethos, the brand and artist share fans with similar tastes. Targeting Gen Z, the wearable art pieces herald a new era of phygital fashion.