Fashion designers are increasingly stepping outside of their traditional realms of apparel, accessories, footwear, beauty, fragrance, dinnerware, bed and bath, and home décor. Many have been testing categories such as pet products and electronic-device cases, for example.
Some ventures are virtually one of a kind, as is the case with these unconventional limited editions:
- Karl Lagerfeld announced a partnership at the beginning of this month with Faber-Castell for a set of hundreds of colored pens, pencils, pastels, and brushes. The Karlbox retails for $2,850.
- Earlier this year, Dolce & Gabbana collaborated with high-end Italian appliance manufacturer Smeg for 100 numbered, hand-painted refrigerators at a retail price of more than $34,000.
- Back in 2012, Jean Paul Gaultier paired with Dillon Gage Metals for 5,000 one-ounce gold bars featuring his name and a sun-inspired design. The price was $1,830 per bar, reflecting the price of gold at the time.
- Vivienne Tam and financial services company Square released a co-branded micro-payment device featuring a Tam-created design. The deal occurred in 2011, before Square usage became as widespread among small business owners as it is now. Tam sold the device on her website for $10, with proceeds going to charity; the standard devices are free to account holders through Square.
None of these initiatives are likely to generate much revenue, as compared to core fashion-licensed products, nor are they necessarily a sign that these categories will take hold with other designers. The benefit of these sorts of collaborations is, in part, to offer something unique to true fans. More importantly, however, such undertakings tend to generate significant publicity, confirm a luxury positioning, and help maintain an image of leading-edge creativity.
Comments are closed.