The latest collaborations between artists and fashion brands

Artists have long collaborated with brands to blur the lines between fashion and culture.

Here are some of the most talked-about luxury brand collaborations of 2022 and awe-inspiring collections we can look forward to in 2023.

BARBIE x Balmain

Barbie, the powerhouse doll, has been around since the 1950s. When we think of Barbie, three things come to mind: Pink, dream houses and stylish outfits. The doll's staple in pop culture as a children’s toy and the BARBIE movie coming out later this year makes it the perfect candidate for collaboration.

The monochromatic pink shades are the first thing you notice about this fashion collaboration. Each item has been styled by Olivier Rousteing and perfectly incorporates what we love about Barbie. Each design is based on Balmain's signature pieces. There's something for everyone in this collection as it's a unisex collection.

There was also an NFT auction when this was first announced consisting of three Barbie and Ken avatars wearing pieces from the collection in an attempt to bring tech and fashion together.

Tyler, the Creator x Converse

Footwear was another popular area for brand collaborations in fashion in 2022, as American rapper Tyler, the creator, teamed up with converse.

Tyler was one of the first celebrities to be featured in Converse's all-star line-up for 2022. The shoes are a part of the rapper's golf De fleur line — which translates to 'flower boy', the title of one of his albums.

The shoes are made of suede and canvas, and there are two designs to choose from: blue and green or white and gold.

NIGO X Kenzo

In September 2021, NIGO, a Japanese fashion designer and DJ, was appointed as creative director of Kenzo, a french fashion house established in 1970.

There have been many fashion collaborations with the brand, such as Paris fashion week in 2022. The most recent collaboration between the artistic director and brand has been the fall/winter collection which dropped in February 2022.

The collection includes hi-tops and shirts with designs of boke flowers, hence why this specific design is called the ‘boke collection.’

Loewe x Howl’s moving castle

Barbie isn’t the only pop culture icon on this list, especially in 2023. If you were around in the 1990s or early 2000s, then Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio, is most likely to have been your first foray into anime.

Studio Ghibli is known for its tropical themes, stunning illustrations and beautiful soundtracks and remains one of the top studios for anime.

This will be the third and final collaboration for both Loewe and Studio Ghibli with the film 'Howl's Moving Castle' inspiring Loewe designs in 2023.

The collaboration doesn’t just stop at fashion with t-shirts or pyjamas. It also reaches as far as candles, which feature a rather apt and lovely design of Calcifer, the fire demon from the movie.

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama

Another luxury brand collaboration which made waves was Louis Vuitton and Yayoi Kusama.

Yayoi Kusama is a prolific Japanese artist known for her pop-art style, colourful palette and sculptures.

This will be the second time Louis Vuitton has collaborated with the artist. This collection is called 'Creating Infinity' and has a line for him and her which features painted dots, metal dots, infinity dots and psychedelic flowers.

The 'Psychedelic Dots' collection features mainly black and white (except for a couple of red designs) and use more triangles and squares in the fabric's pattern, whole the 'Infinity Dots' collection features red, yellow, black and white.

Guerlain x Jasmin Bonheur

Guerlain is releasing a perfume by Jasmin Bonheur, a jasmine scent with notes of orange, violet, iris and rose notes. It's being released in a Jasmin Bonheur bottle with a Guerlain symbol created by Maison Matisse. The exclusive design for this artistic collaboration is based on his most famous work, One Thousand and One Nights.

The design of the bottle and packaging is based on a multi-piece panel which arranged gouache coloured strips of paper. The motif and design are bright and colourful to stay truthful to this piece and it features a portrait of Jasmin Bonheur.

Jimmy Choo x Sailor Moon

Jimmy Choo released a collaboration with the manga series 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon' to celebrate Sailor Moon's 30th anniversary. This collection features five exclusive boots and bags representing the five leading sailors and their values.

Sailor Moon has a custom crystal boot and a Varenne quad in fuchsia.

Sailor Mercury has a blue patent boot and a Varenne quad that is also blue due to being the protector of the planet and water.

Sailor Mars is the guardian of war, and the exclusive pump and Varenne quad are in red. Sailor Jupiter has a green colour quad to signify how they are a guardian of protection- they have a combat boot instead of a pump or boot.

The collection also includes Sailor Venus, whose signature colour in this collaboration is orange, as they can transform into the protector of the planet of beauty. There is an orange Varenne quad, and the exclusive shoe is a platform.

DJ Honey Dijon has created and released two exclusive tracks just for this celebration of the 90’s manga classic.