With dresses made from orange peels, timepieces created out of vintage suiting textiles, and accessories designed—and inspired—by artists, 2017 saw a slew of innovative, eccentric collaborations. Read more about our favorite partnerships of the year below.
The Best Designer Collaborations of 2017
Fashion houses, accessories brands, and watchmakers pushed their wares into new territories thanks to ingenious, out-of-the-box partnerships.
By The EditorsDecember 19, 2017
Max Mara’s Artful Optics
Shantell Martin lends her work to the brand’s latest collection of limited-edition sunglasses. Read more »
Elliott Puckette Adds a New Slant to Maria Cornejo’s Designs
Puckette’s graphic artwork gives body to fluid silk charmeuse with this garment, brought to life at a mill in Como, Italy, selected for its water-conserving methods. Read more »
Tilda Swinton Meets Gentle Monster
The actress collaborated with the South Korean eyewear brand on a beguiling new nine-piece collection. Read more »
Dresses Made of Fruit Peels Are the Next Big Thing
Salvatore Ferragamo has teamed up with sustainable textile company Orange Fiber (with help from Miroslava Duma’s Fashion Tech Lab) for a new ready-to-wear collection. Read more »
Valextra’s Iside Bag Goes East
The italian leather-goods brand teamed up with Kyoto-based kimono atelier Chiso on a 35-piece capsule of silk accessories. Read more »
Maestro of Materials
Lapo Elkann and Luca Rubinacci team up to integrate vintage fabrics into to Hublot’s limited-edition Italia Independent lineup. Read more »
The Lady Dior Handbag Gets a Striking New Look
For the second year in a row, 10 artists—including Lee Bul, Jamilla Okubo, and John Giorno—reimagine the brand’s iconic accessory. Read more »
Adidas Originals’ Iconic Styles Get a Japanese Treatment
Hender Scheme designer Ryo Kashiwazaki brings his artisanal know-how to limited-edition versions of traditional Adidas MicroPacer, NMD, and Superstar sneakers. Read more »
Valentino’s Little Wonder
For his first collection without collaborator Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli asked British fashion and textile designer Zandra Rhodes to translate Hieronymus Bosch’s Renaissance-era triptych “The Garden of Earthly Delights” into flowing dresses, embroidered jackets, and lacquered cross-body lipstick cases. Read more »
Konstantin Grcic for Rado
For his first foray into horology design, German designer Konstantin Grcic reimagined the Rado Ceramic watch with a matte case and bracelet and a dial modeled after a pilot’s watch. Read more »
Hermès Finds a New Muse in Downtown Manhattan
The fashion house taps Parisian artist Ugo Gattoni to create a silk scarf inspired by New York’s Battery Park neighborhood. Read more »
Burberry Explores Henry Moore’s Archives
Designer Christopher Bailey dipped into the archives of Henry Moore to fuse the late artist’s surrealist works with the fashion house’s quintessentially English identity. Read more »
An Unexpected Fashion Pairing Yields Exquisite Results
Rodarte brings its romantic femininity to Coach’s leather goods with a maximalist capsule collection. Read more »