Rimowa x Palace, Loewe’s Last Studio Ghibli, And Vans x Collina Strada: Global Collabs Of The Week

We’re just a week into February, and it’s already been an eventful month in fashion. Best Rap Album of 2023-award winner Kendrick Lamar stepped out at the Grammys in the Martine Rose x Nike Shox that debuted at the Pitti Uomo 103 Guest Designer runway in January, continuing his support of the London-based talent. The internet is also losing it over Sarah Jessica Parker stirring rumors of a Gucci x Birkenstock collaboration, sporting a pair to her flagship SJP Collection store opening in NYC. On the sports side, Adidas has launched a new label for the first time in 50 years called Adidas Sportswear, with the campaign fronted by 2023’s It-girl, Wednesday star Jenna Ortega. It’s a move that follows a momentous breakup with Kanye West that cost the company millions of dollars. Can diffusion lines reinvigorate a brand image? What will be its first collaboration? To receive this news straight to your inbox every Tuesday, subscribe to the Collabs & Drops newsletter here. Loewe x Howl’s Moving Castle Date February 2 The verdict As one of Studio Ghibli's highest grossing movies ever made, Howl's Moving Castle made over $236 million (approx. 1.6 billion RMB) in the box office, and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. Unsurprisingly, the collab has been a hit across social media worldwide: The hashtag #LOEWE x Howl's Moving Castle# has 68,000 reads and counting on Weibo right now, and engagement on Instagram is meteorically high in comparison to non-related posts. The highest post on Instagram currently has almost 66,000 likes. Loewe has cleverly tapped one of the most popular Japanese animations in history. If the Spirited Away capsule is anything to go by, then this one is sure to be a hit. Likely impacted by that collab which first launched in 2021, Loewe's sales in Asia jumped a hefty 55 percent through 2021. It's a lesson in luxury's merchandise opportunity. Rimowa x Palace Skateboards Date February 10 The verdict Unexpected by skate fans and consumers of suitcase titan Rimowa, Palace's latest venture into luxury taps a collectors' item. The instantly-recognizable aluminium and polycarbonate cases by Rimowa have become a blank slate for so many collaborators, including Supreme, Fendi, artist Daniel Arsham and the late Virgil Abloh's Off-White. Palace is a gateway for Rimowa to reach the skate brand's young cult following. In turn, Palace receives luxury positioning and gains cultural credibility on a wider scale through the creation of a collectors' item. In general, the Rimowa collaborative limited edition cases sell at quite a low price premium on StockX. For example, the Porsche crossover is currently at 16 percent and the Dior one is just 2 percent. Daniel Arsham's are generally higher, though. Depending on whether they sell out, we are expecting the Palace collab to hit resale sites pretty soon too. Vans x Collina Strada Date February 10 The verdict New York-based, sustainability-focused label Collina Strada's colorful aesthetic works wonders in co-branded pieces. As the shade-clashing, hippie identity of the New York-based brand is so distinct, it's perfect for collaborations. And Vans' footwear silhouettes, like Rimowa cases, are another great canvas for many to carve their signatures onto. The most wonderful part is how Vans tends to resonate with all of its collaborators, such as Collina Strada creative director Hillary Taymour who grew up wearing the sneakers around Southern California. Presented as part of the NYC brand's Fall/Winter 2023 show, this collection positions Vans in the fashion arena, where it isn't always present. Despite doing so many collabs, the skate shoes are seldom seen on the runway.

Sectors

Insights

Company

Rimowa x Palace, Loewe’s Last Studio Ghibli, And Vans x Collina Strada: Global Collabs Of The Week