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Bringing the beloved cartoon characters into streetwear, high-end, and fast fashion collaborations has been a part of the collaborative strategy for a long time. However, in the past 15 years, the collaborations have seen a strong surge with brands incorporating animated icons into their collections to target younger audiences. This ludo will visually map out the time and span of the partnerships, showcasing luxury labels, streetwear, and contemporary brands.
The ludo features collaborations from 2010 till the present. Some of the first collections are Supreme x Popeye and The Hundreds x Garfield in 2010. But the number of partnerships increased in 2014 with nine team-ups, including Rook with Adventure Time and Family Guy, Drop Dead with Itchy and Scratchy, A Bathing Ape (BAPE) with Peanuts and The Simpsons, Joyrich with Richie Rich and The Simpsons, Sprayground with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Uniqlo with The Simpsons. The same amount of collaborations were recorded in 2021 from Levi's x Felix The Cat, Monki with My Little Pony, Loewe with My Neighbour Totoro, Pomelo. with Peanuts, Asics with Pokémon, Converse with Pokémon, H&M with Popeye and The Simpsons, and Balenciaga with The Simpsons.
The brand with the highest collaboration is Loewe with three alliances (My Neighbour Totoro - 2021, Spirited Away - 2022, and Howl's Moving Castle - 2023), followed by H&M (with Popeye - 2021 and The Simpsons - 2021), Joyrich (Richie Rich - 2014 and The Simpsons - 2014), Rook (Adventure Time - 2014 and Family Guy - 2014) and Uniqlo (The Simpsons - 2014 and Pokémon - 2019-2024) with two partnerships. Similarly, Pokémon has the highest number of team-ups (Balmain - 2022, Clarks - 2022, Comme des Garçons - 2022, Converse - 2021, Crocs - 2022, Fendi - 2023, Fila - 2018, Longchamp - 2020, Puma - 2022, Tiffany & Co. - 2023, Uniqlo - 2019-2024 and Zara - 2020) summing up to fourteen alliances, followed by The Simpsons (Balenciaga - 2021, A Bathing Ape (BAPE) - 2014, H&M - 2021, Intimissimi - 2024, Joyrich - 2014 and Uniqlo - 2014).
Over the years, the collaborations have evolved a lot. Luxury brands have shown an immense interest in this collaborative strategy for the past few years. Balenciaga showcased a surprise animated runway starring The Simpsons in 2021. Loewe partnered with Studio Ghibli to create a collection of hand-painted items in 2023. Tiffany & Co. partnered with Pokémon for a luxury jewellery collection in 2023.
The cartoons are also influencing streetwear and sportswear brands - Supreme and Popeye for a streetwear capsule in 2013, Adidas and Pokémon for a collaborative sneaker collection in 2020, Asics and Pokémon for a kids’ sneaker collection in 2021, Puma and Pokémon for a sneaker collection in 2022 and Converse with Pokémon for a special sneaker capsule in 2021. Fast fashion and contemporary brands such as Uniqlo, Zara, H&M, Monki, and Levi's are also active in this sector. Other Indie and high-street brands are involved too - Sprayground x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2014, Lazy Oaf x Looney Tunes in 2013, and Revolution Beauty x Shrek in 2022.
The brands are taking this approach for several reasons. One is to give a nostalgia-driven consumer appeal, especially for Gen Z and Millennials who practically grew up with these cartoons. These collaborations tend to go viral on social media, leading to reselling the existing collection and quickly selling out. With a limited-edition and collectible strategy, the brands use short-lived capsule collections that are resellable and highly collectible, making the fans rush to buy them. This, in turn, gives luxury brands a path to embrace pop culture.
Another reason is the labels’ ability to reach younger audiences without alienating the existing customer base. Through this collaboration, brands can combine playful elements with their designs while maintaining their signature value and aesthetics, as Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of Loewe, stated about the label’s partnership with My Neighbor Totoro: Animation has an incredible ability to transport us to another world, one that is full of wonder and curiosity. This collaboration is about merging that joy with craftsmanship.
These collaborations also lead to the crossovers for the luxury and streetwear sectors. Supreme, Stussy, and A Bathing Ape (BAPE), for instance, have collaborated with pop culture icons to maintain their cult status among the collectors. James Jebbia, the founder of Supreme, once said, Our collaborations are not just about products but about storytelling and cultural moments.
Dive into more themed Ludos:
- Disney Fashion & Beauty Ludo
- K-Pop Fashion Ludo
- Luxury x Sportswear Fashion Ludo
Cover Image: Loewe x Spirited Away, courtesy PRINT Magazine.