Fashion-Art Collaborations Criticized as Stale
A Highsnobiety column critiques recent streetwear-art collaborations from BAPE, KAWS, and Nike as repetitive and lacking creativity, while highlighting
Recent fashion collaborations with major artists are being criticized as tired and uninspired. In a column for Highsnobiety, Chris Erik Thomas argues that brands are stuck in a cycle of mediocrity by repeatedly partnering with the same overplayed names.
The Latest Disappointing Drops
The ads for the second A BATHING APE collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum are described as causing psychic pain. The collection includes sneakers and BE@RBRICK collectibles covered in floral prints from paintings like Sunflowers and Almond Blossom, all presented in old wooden frames. According to Thomas, placing the merchandise in frames does not grant it gravitas but instead serves as a metaphor for the project's lack of inspiration.
This is not the only crossover causing anguish. The latest KAWS collaboration with UNIQLO is filled with simplistic branded T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the artist's new characters. Nike's collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art on an Air Rift 2 sneaker is also mentioned. Its colorway is meant to evoke pop art but is described as looking like a neon-hued fever dream set in Miami Beach.
The Logic and The Letdown
The commercial logic behind these partnerships is sound. Big brands lean on big-name artists because they are recognizable and easily marketable. The average person is more likely to recognize a KAWS character or a Van Gogh print than the work of an independent painter.
However, constantly rehashing the same artists has created a cycle of mediocrity. The column specifically calls out Louis Vuitton's upcoming Keith Haring-centric 2027 Cruise collection, stating that slapping his squiggly lines on clothes has not been interesting for years. The pervasiveness of these superstar collaborations is ironic, the writer notes, given the no shortage of interesting painters, sculptors, and videographers available. Partnering with them could lend a brand freshness, a quality the BAPE x Van Gogh drop is said to lack.
A Contrast in Creative Approaches
While mass-market brands cling to safety, other labels are pursuing more innovative partnerships. These collaborations use marketing muscle to platform smaller artists, which the column argues signals taste.
| Brand | Collaboration Partner(s) | Collection/Project |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme | Rita Ackermann, Art Dealer | Fall/Winter 2026 collection |
| LOEWE | Cosima Von Bonin | Fall/Winter 2026 crustacean-inspired pieces |
| Jil Sander | Moni Haworth | FW26 campaign film |
The column also notes fashion brands directly supporting cultural institutions, such as Bottega Veneta's sponsorship of an upcoming Peggy Guggenheim exhibition in London.
The Cycle of Diminishing Returns
There was once a tangible mania for major art-fashion mashups. The 2019 KAWS x UNIQLO collection, marketed as his last, caused stampedes at stores in China and crashed the brand's online shop. That era is described as the golden age for such collaborations, and these products likely still sell well enough to warrant more releases.
Yet it is hard to square these stale, museum gift shop-style collections with the genuinely exciting work being done elsewhere. The writer acknowledges that being aggrieved by another Haring or KAWS collection is a self-inflicted wound. But the column ends by questioning when the laws of diminishing returns will finally catch up to the stale roster of artists big brands cannot quit.
