Collabs are great. They give us an unlikely combo of starpower in one great collection. But, they can’t all be home runs. Today we’re listing off the 10 weirdest fashion collabs that you either love or hate.
10. Off-White x IKEA
Virgil Ablohm, CEO of Off-White, teamed up with Ikea in 2019 to design bags, clocks and all kinds of furniture. Customers actually had to line up with special wristbands for early access. As expected, the collection sold out virtually overnight. The collection definitely had more of an Off-White aesthetic, but the idea that it was sold in the same place that sells cheap dorm furniture and cafeteria meatballs is just crazy.
9. Cheetos x Forever 21
Admittedly, we’re never surprised at what Forever 21 will put on shirts. You walk in, find a dope denim jacket and then you turn it around to find I LOVE TACOS embroidered across the back. We also know that Cheetos are not a stranger to wacky collabs. We’re looking at you Chicken Cheetos Fries at Burger King. The weirdest part of this Forever 21 collab was the makeup palettes that came with. So if you and your girl are a fan of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, you might want to stop by Forever 21 and get these pieces while they’re around.
8. Adidas x AriZona Iced Tea
Similar to the Cheetos x Forever 21 collab, Adidas decided to look to the grocery aisles for some collab inspo. In Summer ‘19, the brand released 10 shoes and slides with designs based on AriZona’s signature flavors: Green Tea, Lemon, Mango and Watermelon. Other companies had been making socks, graphic shirts and more with the iconic cherry blossom design of the AriZona cans, so this collab wasn’t a HUGE surprise. It’s only on our list because a big name like Adidas made it happen.
7. Timberland x Supreme x COMME des GARCONS
This is the only collab on the list that brought together three fashion giants: Timberland, COMME des GARCONS and Supreme. These kicks came out in 2015 in both the sleek black colorway and the traditional Timberland beige. To top it off, these were waterproof. This collab was not so much weird, as it was unlikely for three big brands to just team up on one item.
6. Soulland x Playboy
We know it’s not news that Playboy’s logo is getting slapped on all kinds of graphic shirts these days. Soulland, a Scandinavian menswear label, has also used other household names to create its collections, including Snoopy. But, our team is just amazed at how easy it was for an adult brand like Playboy and NSFW graphics to hit the mainstream. Even PacSun is selling coach jackets with the iconic bunny blown up across the back.
5. Nike x ‘Friends’
Sure “Friends” is one of the best TV shows of all time, but whose idea was it to slap the show’s logo on a pair of Kyrie 5’s? Well, Kyrie Irving himself had the answer. Irving takes his camaraderie on the court very seriously and even has a “Friends” tattoo on his forearm. So that’s why… we guess.
4. PacSun x Budweiser
Similar to the Playboy collab from earlier on our list, we’re giving a spot to another mature collab. PacSun teamed up with Budweiser to release a line of graphic shirts and accessories with the red Budweiser logo across. The weirdest thing about this collab is most PacSun shoppers are not 21 yet, so we’re scratching our heads at the collab’s success. We guess it’s a rebellious thing.
3. RIPNDIP x Tenga
This is probably the biggest WTF on our list. RIPNDIP is no stranger to oddball fashion. After all, its mascot is a cartoonish cat flipping the bird. Well for those of you who don’t know, or are pretending not to, Tenga is a Japanese adult toy brand. Their products are for… self use. And so, in 2018, RIPNDIP teamed up with the brand to release a line of male massagers to a market that wasn’t really asking for them.
2. Supreme x New York MTA
We’re all familiar with Supreme and its knack for slapping its logo on everyday items and calling it a collab, but this one was just insane. Back in Spring 2017, you could get a two-fare Metrocard for the MTA in New York. This was the only collab on the list that got you from one place to another.
- Post Malone x Crocs
This was an easy #1 choice for us. Crocs are for weird dads, and yet this flash collab between the billboard rapper and the eccentric slipper company sold out in 10 minutes. It was one of those things that people don’t know they need until it comes out. None of us at ThreadBeast would’ve greenlit this idea and yet it was a massive success. Good on you, Post.
