Not only does summer inherently bring longer days filled with fruit juice-stained shirts and, less glamorously, sweat-stained tees, it also regularly gives us buzz-worthy fashion collaborations.
This year, we’re happy to share the five hottest brand fashion collaborations of the summer. Each of these collaborations is unique in that a fashion brand has teamed up with a brand that’s known for anything but fashion. In the past high end designers would have turned their noses up at working with brands on a different plane than their own, but, lately, we’ve noticed that they seem eager to jump into limited edition collections and collaborations. The mashups that each of these collaborations have created come chock full of creativity, unexpectedness, and pizzaz. Who would’ve thought a grocery store could make merch that blends in with your typical street style brands?
The New York-based shop Knickerbocker recently released their latest collaboration with the well-known photography company Kodak. Together, the two brands have created merchandise that reflects the visuals of vintage advertisements and reference Kodak’s old-school logo from the 30s. The collab includes a wide range of products, from collared shirts, baseball caps, utility vests, and graphic tees with statements such as, “You don’t get to Paris every weekend. Catch it while you can.” The collection as a whole was inspired by the company’s founder George Eastman’s love for sports, which, as it can be seen, features gorgeously designed vintage soccer jersey-inspired collared shirts.
TELFAR is a unisex line that was created in New York City in 2005. Designed by Telfar Clemens, this is a brand for everyone, even fast-food chains. The designer freshly collaborated with hamburger chain White Castle in celebration of their 100th anniversary. In an interview with Vogue, Telfar’s creative director, Babak Radboy, stated, “White Castle supported us before our success, and we consider them family. Their team would serve sliders backstage at all our shows and were basically part of our team. It’s still the only thing open after midnight in Telfar’s hood—seeing our uniforms there means something to us, and so we take it personally.” The drool-worthy collab resulted in T-shirts, aprons, polos, and, as requested by workers, do-rags, the first hair accessory to be a part of a company’s uniform. Nor is it White Castle’s latest collab either; on June 25th, Puma dropped new merch for the restaurant, including two sneaker designs that pulled inspiration from the chain’s blue and white aesthetic.
In honor of Pride month in June, Harry’s, the company behind the well-rounded shaving company for men, collaborated with the beloved and talented artist Zipeng Zhu. Not only does the collection feature a beautifully curated limited edition box with a Harry’s razor that features a unique, iridescent, rainbow finish, but the box it comes tucked inside gets splashed with original gorgeous typography and geometrical patterns by Zhu. This collaboration came to fruition to represent a lovely and diverse community, and it does just that. Plus, the hats, bag, and fanny pack that are part of the collection are loud, proud, and perfect in their rainbow color palette.
Lays, the snack brand loved by all, worked with the Chinese-based clothing retailed Ledin to create fashion pieces representing the two brands. When a company works with another, one of the brand’s aesthetics shines through more than another. With Lays and Ledin’s collab, both brands are equally in the spotlight. The merchandise features the Lay’s logo splashed across different tops in a wide range of styles. The light pink graphic tee looks like a dream-come-true for the 90s aesthetic lover, and the utility-inspired top is a statement piece; it’s evident that the line is inclusive, diverse, and each item can get styled in a multitude of ways.
As a former member of the Marine Corps turned LA-based hair colorist, you can guarantee that Daniel Moon is a man with character and a larger-than-life persona. In fact, he’s known for treating hair as if it were art, resulting in beautifully colored masterpieces. In his recent collaboration with footwear brand Reebok, the vibrant color combinations are proof of just that. Think neon green shoes with pink fuzzy textured laces and a pink pair with purple, orange, and green detailing that’s sure to stand out in a sea of crowded shoes. Moon’s hair-coloring eye was put to the test with these lively colored shoes, and he passed with flying colors.
The first authentic snow and skate headwear company NEFF collaborated with Minecraft, the video game known for its 3D blocks where users can explore and create their own virtual worlds. Together the two created a line made up of eight pieces, including shirts, hats, and sweaters highlighting screen printed graphics and well-known scenes from Minecraft. The tye die prints and vibrant and natural hues on the fashion pieces are as diverse and complex as the video game itself. This collaboration is a natural fit as both brands are known for their promotion of adventure, craft, and survival.
