The Best of the Spring 2018 Luxury Collaborations

The wave of luxury designer collaborations continues to roll on, with some unlikely pairings available now, or dropping in the coming weeks. Spring is the season of unusual affairs and the attraction of opposites, and some of these partnerships definitely qualify. Like peanut butter and jelly – or Spongebob and Patrick – you’d think some of these duos just wouldn’t work, but somehow they do. Hey, we all know that sometimes strange relationships are the best. Here are a baker’s dozen that caught our eye.

Opening Ceremony x Disney. This season, cool-kid brand Opening Ceremony opted to skip the traditional fashion week show and instead chose California’s Disneyland as their stage, with supermodels Mickey and Minnie Mouse joining the runway. The show was a collaboration with Disney to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday, as well as the nostalgic love that Opening Ceremony’s co-founders, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, have for all things Disney. The collection is not exactly subtle: there are edgy cocktail dresses, sporty tracksuits, romantic maxi skirts and retro crop tops in cartoon print. There are also dresses and tops with sleeves that look like mouse ears. Does this signal a resurgence of the desire to make fashion fun? Perhaps it’s just a way to escape the grim headlines for a moment or so. The first wave of products is available now at OpeningCeremony.com and ShopDisney.com; a second drop is planned for November.

Aquazzura x de Gournay. Nearly a year after the footwear purveyor and the heritage British wall coverings house first joined forces, the brands have unveiled a second iteration of their Amazonia collaboration, this one in shades of blue (the first one was pink). Aquazzura creative director Edgardo Osorio has updated de Gournay’s iconic Chinoiserie style on a line of wall coverings and footwear depicting lush jungle scenes in tropical hues.

Iris Apfel x Bergdorf Goodman. Octogenarian and style icon Iris Apfel has a new book out, and Bergdorf’s has an exclusive limited-edition capsule collection of apparel, accessories, beauty products and home decor items inspired by her spirit. She’s featured in the store’s windows on Fifth Avenue, and is holding book signings at the store on two occasions. Bring your over-sized specs and your sense of adventure if you visit.

Gigi Hadid for Vogue Eyewear. The supermodel-turned-designer Gigi Hadid, fresh off her Tommy Hilfiger collab, has just launched the second edition of Gigi Hadid for Vogue Eyewear. Naturally, she stars in the campaign, sporting the sleek, retro-chic shades on the sunny beaches of Ibiza. The collection includes three new styles of frames, each available in a variety of colors.

Céline x Nordstrom Pop-up. Céline and Nordstrom have come together for a pop-up filled with curated accessories ranging from bags to sunglasses to shoes. Notable pieces include baby-blue cat-eye sunglasses and a bodega-style bag in clear plastic with a colored pouch inside. The store is located in downtown Seattle, and will only be there until May 29th. After that, it moves to Nordstrom’s Pacific Centre store in Vancouver, Canada for a few months. Catch it while you can.

CB2 x Fred Segal. Few brands exemplify the relaxed-yet-luxe Cali vibe like So-Cal specialty retailer Fred Segal.  Together with CB2, the brand is bringing that aesthetic into our homes. The first Fred Segal x CB2 collaboration was all about the living room and home office; the newest collection heads outside to the patio. Inspired by the feeling one might get sitting poolside during the 70’s in the Hollywood Hills, the collection is aptly named the “Pool Party Collection.”  Most of the pieces are designed to work either indoors or out, with everything from couches to coffee tables.  We especially love the fresh cut pineapple side table ($499) and the outdoor pillows ($59.95) in pops of blue as a nod to Fred Segal’s iconic denim.

Uniqlo x JW Anderson. Designer J.W. Anderson and fast fashion brand Uniqlo have reunited for the spring/summer season. Launching April 18^th, their new collaboration features British heritage garments with a nautical twist.  A standout look from the lineup? The tonal blue button top bearing the designer’s JW emblem reworked to incorporate an anchor image.

Uniqlo x Marimekko. In another great matchup for Uniqlo, the brand is joining with Marimekko for a bright and colorful set of women’s apparel featuring the Finnish brand’s vibrant prints. Designed by Maija Louekari, one of Marimekko’s world-renowned printmakers, the nine-style collection includes tops, dresses, pants, sneakers, and bags. It arrives in store and online beginning March 29th.

Marimekko for Clinique. Looking for a good way to liven up your beauty routine?  Look no further than Clinique’s sunny new lip collab with Marimekko. The limited-edition capsule collection is comprised of 30 of Clinique’s best lipsticks and glosses decked out in Marimekko’s archival 1960’s prints.  We love the Clinique classic gloss in Juicy Apple ($18.50).

NARS x Erdem. During London Fashion Week, beauty brand NARS announced its first collab with designer Erdem  Moralioglu. The 13-piece Erdem for Nars Strange Flowers color cosmetics collection consists of products for the cheeks, eyes, lips and comes in floral packaging.  The range will be available for purchase on April 15th in the U.K. at Selfridges, and nationwide on May 1st.

Hunter Boots x Target. The arrival of spring means shopping for raincoats and wellies. Right on schedule, Target is teaming up with Hunter, maker of the iconic British rain boot, on a limited-edition collection of exclusive rain boots, raincoats and backpacks, as well as hammocks, sunshades and coolers. Dropping April 14^th, most of the happy-chic items will be priced under $30.

Madewell x As Ever. If you love a good jumpsuit, you’re in for a treat! This spring, Madewell is partnering with As Ever, a New York-based brand known for reconstructing vintage clothes into one-of-a-kind pieces. The line will feature 10 must-haves with a utilitarian, old-school aesthetic that’s versatile and cool: Mandy Moore has already spotted wearing one of the jumpsuits. We’ve got our eye on the 1960’s style roll-up tab short sleeve coveralls in mist ($175).

Kate Spade x Keds. For spring and summer brides-to-be who don’t do heels but are still in the market for something with a touch of glamour, you’re in luck. Keds is teaming up with Kate Spade on a capsule collection of bridal sneakers. The line features pearl-embellished slip-ons and glittery lace-ups. The collection dropped on keds.com in late January, so you don’t have to wait to get your hands on the kitschy kicks, which retail from $40 to $120. There are also options in kids’ sizes, so your flower girls can match your style in blissful comfort.

Finally, there’s always something interesting underway at Gucci. We previously reported on the brand’s collaboration with Major League Baseball. There’s also a capsule collection that just hit stores that celebrates Elton John. But wait — there’s more. For the brand’s spring/summer 2018 advertising campaign, creative director Michelle Allessandro once again joined with Spanish artist Ignasi Monreal to create ‘Utopian Fantasy,’ a series of digital paintings that take inspiration from Renaissance painters.

High-low collaborations as well as cooperation among “equals” show no sign of abating in luxury fashion. At its fall/winter show in Milan, FENDI’s Karl Lagerfeld unveiled a collaboration with Italian sports brand FILA, which was met with rave reviews. Clearly, collaboration is becoming a permanent Thing. Grab your partners, people. Flying solo is totally last century.

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