Off the back of a chaotic sellout drop in August this year, American-Chinese it-girl brand Sandy Liang is returning with a new Baggu design, ready to break the internet once more.
Other brand collaboration highlights include South Korean brand Ader Error’s concept sneaker co-created with Malaysian-Chinese artist Edmond Looi, and Heytea’s Barbie-themed collection.
Read on for our verdict on these, and subscribe here to receive the Collabs & Drops newsletter straight to your inbox every Tuesday.
Edmond Looi x Ader Error
Edmond Looi’s concept for Ader Error’s art series. Photo: Ader Error
Details: The fourth object of the ‘Draw Your Line’ project, presented through collaborations with various artists, November 12
Social context: #drawyourline has 3,046 likes on Instagram, while #adererror has 4,852, as well as 37.7 million views on Xiaohongshu.
Verdict:
- South Korean brand comprising a design collective, Ader Error is one of today’s leading high-end streetwear brands to come out of Asia. Having carved out an artistic aesthetic, collaborating with innovative designers comes naturally to this label.
- Selected as the co-creator of the fourth object of the ‘Draw Your Line’ project, Malaysian-Chinese artist Edmond Looi produces designs that look as though they are cartoonish AI concepts, and his Ader Error sneakers are no exception.
- Utilizing brand pieces as a slate for artists to imprint their creative identity is a great way to accentuate the strength of collaborating brands’ image, on both sides of the equation — the blue associated with Ader Error is instantly recognizable, for example.
Sandy Liang x Baggu
Sandy Liang and Baggu announced an upcoming release via Instagram. Photo: Baggu Instagram
Details: Mini Bow Bag in Candy Apple, November 14
Social context: On Xiaohongshu, #sandyliang has 3.1 million views, whereas over on Instagram, the brand has 377,000 followers. Baggu’s post announcing the new product has over 17,300 likes. On TikTok, #bagguxsandyliang has 4.1 million views.
Verdict:
- Combining their fanbases, Sandy Liang and Baggu launched one of 2023’s buzziest collabs over the summer, and they’re back with a new bag.
- August’s release sold out so quickly that it triggered the brands to publish an apology. As a result, the Cloud Bag by Sandy Liang and Baggu that retailed at $58, is now listed at over $200 (1,460 RMB) on eBay.
- Consumer comments suggest this new Mini Bow Bag is going to be another product that instantly sells out. Online comments include: “I hope you made a million of these,” “How hard will this be to get?” and “There better not be presales again, and if so where do I sign up?”
Heytea x Barbie
Barbie and Heytea’s co-branded oolong tea was promoted via a Douyin livestream and its hashtags have gone viral. Photo: Heytea
Details: Barbie Powder Narcissus drink, limited edition cups, and paper bags, October 30
Social context: One of the collaboration’s hashtag #Xichababifen (#喜茶芭比粉) has 5.53 million reads on Weibo, while another #HeyteaBarbiecollab (#喜茶和芭比联名了) has a whopping 71.39 million reads. On Xiaohongshu, the dedicated hashtag has 3.4 million views.
Verdict:
- This drop might have missed the boat as Barbiecore hype has been and gone, but Heytea has proven otherwise with another internet-breaking release.
- According to Heytea, the business sold over three million cups of “Barbie Pink Narcissus” within the first week of launching.
- One of the Chinese brands with the best social media presence, Heytea often encourages consumers to take photos of its products, which creates a huge knock-on social media campaign, generating hashtags that rack up millions of views as a result.
